Along For the Ride
by Silver as the Rain
Summary: My brother lost his life in a car accident, but before that both of us were surrounded by cars. They were our entire lives, we lived for the thrill of a race and the sweet taste of victory, but not everything was made to last. In this world, you can't afford to play it safe. It's go hard or go home, and although my racing days were seemingly over, the track always pulls you back...
1. Chapter 1

Cars were my life. They were my freedom. Cars were what brought in the food to my house and kept a roof over my family's head. Cars were just…everything. I lived and breathed them ever since I was a little girl. It started with my daddy, an honest guy who loved his family and did his best to support them. He had worked at the same garage ever since he was sixteen years old and always talked about getting one of his own someday and that he was going to build a brand new car that would change the world. It was his dream and every weekend I remember going into that garage with my big brother Alex to sit on my own little stool that was kept aside for me, helping myself to cookies and treats the other guys affectionately gave to me whenever they thought my daddy wasn't looking.

I learned everything I knew from him, from cars to math and even to riding my first bike. He'd be home the same time every day, waiting at the table for him so that we could eat dinner together, him smelling of engine oil and sweat but none of us caring, insisting that he sat down and not bother taking a wash and that washing off his hands was plenty enough. We were happy together, me, daddy, mom and Alex. He was just like my dad, same bright eyes, tangled mop of dark hair and a crooked grin that could warm you from the inside out. Alex and I did everything together, being close in age we didn't really remember a time when we didn't have the other. Our dad taught us both how to fix up cars, how to repair them and would even let us help from time to time, gaining experience before we could barely talk. Mom said he was a bad influence, but dad would just laugh and say we both just had natural talent.

When Alex became old enough to drive, it opened up a whole new world to us. I remember watching the older kids drifting through Tokyo, taking on one another in extreme races which would set my heart pounding in exhilaration and Alex swore he was going to become the best driver in the city. Me being me, of course, I never dissuaded him. I never cautioned him, never told him to be careful. I pushed and supported him, worked hard in order to help him learn how to drive like all the rest and learned on the go myself. When we figured out that racing could earn you a lot of money, we went at it even harder.

Our parents struggled enough as it was, however when we started to bring in a little more every month or so, things got easier. It took a while for them to catch on and mom didn't like us driving around so recklessly, however dad cooled her off and gave us a 'talk' whereby he told us that we were old enough to make our own decisions but he didn't like us putting ourselves at risk like that. For a while Alex and I didn't think anything of it. We were kids having fun, all we wanted was the thrill of the ride and soon enough we were getting ourselves a reputation. Alex was the fastest straight line racer around and I, well, I drove a little uniquely. I become known as the best backwards driver _of all_. Life was great for a while, but then like all things, life smacked us in the face.

When I got the call I was in school and had to get permission to leave. I raced all the way to the hospital, running for all I was worth until I heard the screeching of wheels and my brother raced up beside me, flinging open the door so I dove inside. "You heard? Mom called you?"

"Yeah she called, buckle up sis, we'll be there soon." Alex promised and he refused to move until I was strapped in though my hands were shaking so much from nervous anxiety that I could barely clip in the buckle until finally, I was in. Glancing across to me with worry Alex moved forwards, driving us to the hospital and swung into a parking space without even noticing the other person trying to take it, earning a very angry honk which we both ignored. The moment we were both outside Alex grabbed my hand and instantly I felt a little more secure. His broad shoulders easily moved us through the thick throng of people, solid and confident as he kept a straight face all the way through the hospital until we'd found mom waiting for us outside a door.

I was already crying, sobbing as I flung myself into her arms and she too was struggling to hold herself together so Alex swept us both up into his arms, already taller than our rather small statured mother and he comforted us both. "What happened? Is dad gonna be okay?"

"He's going to pull through, the doctors have already stabilised him but…" Mom trailed off as she wiped her eyes then took a deep breath. "Listen, you're both going to have to be very brave, okay? You see…well…your dad won't be able to walk anymore." I stared at her in disbelief, my throat going completely dry.

"What do you mean mom? Did something happen to his legs? You haven't even told us about the accident yet, was it at work? What…"

"Cora." When I heard Alex's rumbling tone I stopped and looked at him, seeing how he was barely able to hide his fear and concern behind a mask of stone coldness. "It's gonna be okay. Dad's alive and right now, that's all that matters. Right?" Clamping my mouth shut I nodded my head in agreement trembling still as mom dabbed at her face with a tissue just as the nurse arrived, speaking in fast paced Japanese which we all listened to before we were allowed inside. Instantly Alex reached out and placed his hand over mine, giving me a loving and comforting squeeze with a smile and I was infinitely grateful to him as he walked me inside.

Dad was resting with his eyes closed, the monitor tracking his heart rate and I was relieved each time I heard the piercing beep, however when I saw the two stumps that were covered by the blanket of the hospital bed, I froze. It all rushed at me all at once, the realisation that things were not okay. Things were going to be much harder from now on and dad was going to be the one to struggle the most. He won't walk again, won't run again, it'll be a miracle if he could ever even work again. But, in the next moment, I sudden felt a surge of determination. I wasn't going to let this be the end. I'm going to help my dad in any way I can. We can pull through this, as a family. We'll work hard together and we'll find a way and as Alex gave my hand another squeeze, it were as if he were silently agreeing with me.

"Honey? Honey are you awake?" Mom gently coaxed my dad from sleep and as his eyes flickered I went for his other hand, gently wrapping his fingers in mine and pressing a kiss to his skin as he hummed.

"Can a man ask for anything more than to have his family close to his side?" He questioned and I gave him a brave smile as he brushed his thumb against my cheek. "Look at you Cora, have you been crying again? You cry so easily these days."

"Can't seem to help it daddy, girls are very emotional you know." I told him honestly and he chuckled at that. Alex stood next to me, one hand on my shoulder and the other against dad's, looking as if he too were coming to certain realisations and making his own promises.

"You don't worry about a thing dad. We'll get through this no problem. I'll find more work for now and we'll get you back to your old self in no time. Right mom?"

"That's right sweetie. We'll all be just fine." She agreed, all three of us smiling and as my dad smiled back, I caught a slight twinkle at the corner of his eye, the light catching a single tear as it slipped down his cheek so I reached forwards and kissed it away, starting to tell him all about my day at school and how my tests had gone, thanking him for helping me to study. Things after that were harder, but somehow we made ends meet. Alex found more work and dad helped mom at home however he could, adapting to his wheelchair and although I was young, I could still understand that my parents had to make cuts and sacrifices in order to pay off the hospital bills and for his medication. That's why I insisted that I only wanted school supplies for my birthday and that for Christmas, I suggested a new tradition that we had to secretly take something of someone else's that they had used or had years ago, wrap it up and then we would share our memories by the tree. I had taken my brother's first train set and he had laughed after unwrapping it, revelling in the memories of his boyhood and had actually got it all out to play with it again, fixing anything that was broken.

It helped to cut costs and I began learning how to do up and mend clothes so that I didn't need to buy new school uniforms, finding ways in order to help however I could until I would be able to find a job of my own. If anything, dad's accident only brought us all closer. He was home more often, which I knew my mom enjoyed and he spent even more time helping me to study so even my grades went up a little higher. The only thing was, to actually afford most of what we needed, Alex decided that he needed to race more. He got himself into higher stake races and now that I was a little older, I began to see just how dangerous it was.

"Alex, I really don't like you racing like this all the time." I told him one evening we were out in the garage, working on his car to try and fix it up after the last race. He'd clipped a wall with his front end and smashed the lights completely, meaning we had to refit most of the front. "We can't afford to be constantly fixing up the car, it's costing more than its worth."

"It's okay Cora, we're doing just fine." Alex waved me off, grinning as he ruffled my hair. "You worry too much, you used to love this stuff."

"I _do_ love this stuff but I love you more. I don't want to see you get yourself hurt. Remember that other guy last week and that crash? They literally had to cut the car in half just to pull him out and by then it was too late. If I ever have to pull you from a wreckage, I think that would just about finish me off, let alone mom and dad." Try as I may, Alex just wouldn't listen.

"Just one more race sis, one more race and we'll be set for the rest of this month." It was always just one more race. I was convinced that part of the reason he raced at all was because he loved it too much. His car was his pride and joy. He'd won it in a race and we'd spent the last four years building it up and making adjustments, customising it so that it would race for the big leagues. The Mitsubishi EVO was his pride and joy, something he had caringly built up and repaired time and time again with my help. It was black and yellow, his favourite colours and he'd stay up late into the night to make last minute tweaks and modifications like it were the most important thing in the world.

Of course I still had my brother's back and I always went with him to his races, because even when we disagreed over something, we never gave up on each other. "You be careful, you got me? I don't care about anything else, just so long as you're able to at least walk home with me at the end of the day." I told him as I leaned into the car through the window, listening to the gentle hum of the car as he flexed his fingers over the wheel.

"Well if you wanna show everyone how it's done little sis you could always take over?" He offered and I grinned at him.

"And steal all your glory? Now that hardly seems fair to you now, does it?" Knuckling his head affectionately I then kissed his cheek. "Good luck, remember not to grind the gears this time."

"Whatever you say Cora, I got this." Nodding my head I crossed my fingers at him to say I was rooting for him before I stepped back, nervously taking a breath. Everyone was cheering and shouting as the two cars pulled up to the starting line, revving their engines in anticipation. When they were given the go I heard the tyres all screech and the burning scent of rubber filled my nose as my brother shot out into first, racing forwards as everyone recorded on their phones and uploaded to a live stream for everyone to watch. The moment my brother was out of sight, I got this terrible feeling in my gut that something was going to go wrong. I felt sick and there was a metallic taste at the back of my throat which I couldn't swallow back so I took several deep breaths, leaning back against one of my friend's parked cars. Thankfully my sense of trepidation didn't amount to anything. My brother won the race and we drove home happy, the money now in my care so I could hand it over to mom, but still I felt slightly uneasy. I kept on looking over at my brother, seeing that contented smile on his face.

Turns out, I was right about being worried. It wasn't in a race, my brother was just driving with a bunch of his friends, trying to feel better about himself after losing his car. It had been a few weeks later that my brother tried racing for slips but lost, losing his EVO in the process, however with all his friends drinking, they were in no state to be driving. They drifted onto the wrong side of the road and got hit by a truck. None of them survived, not even Alex. When I got to the hospital, my mom was sobbing against my father who was trying to comfort her, tears in his eyes and as I approached them, I knew. Alex hadn't made it.

I didn't even realise I had screamed until two nurses shook me awake, helping me to stand upright until I collapsed to the ground all at once and sobbed like a broken wreck upon the floor. I felt like a part of me had been snapped off and set on fire, leaving open wounds to fester and bleed. I couldn't even bring myself to look at him until his funeral where he lay in the open casket until he was buried in a small, overcrowded plot which he shared with hundreds of others, nothing more than worm food. I was angry. Angry at him, angry at his friends, angry at cars and trucks and anything I could blame for taking my brother away. I even blamed the races. If he hadn't lost that damn car then he wouldn't have been pushed to such a place, so after that moment, I refused to get into a car again.

Even after I graduated and finished school, life was a struggle. Mom couldn't work much on account of needing to help dad at home so it was left to me to bring in the main supply of money. I worked three jobs and lost most of my friends except those who were genuine and they were the ones whom I accepted to be close to me. I pushed everyone else away, refusing to open up until finally they persuaded me to come back and at least _watch_ the races. It was nostalgic going back, however as I began to become surrounded by cars once more, I found myself remembering how much I'd loved them before.

One car I had seen was in desperate need of some fixing up, so before I knew it I had picked up someone's tools and set to work, fixing the issue and when I was done, the car purred to life again. "Look at that she fixed it! Damn girl, you are my hero I thought this thing was never gonna start. Name's Twinkie, you need anything, you just call out my name." Arching an eyebrow at the much younger kid I suddenly laughed.

"I don't know what kind of circles you've been sneaking into kid, but you are definitely too young to be driving this thing and definitely too young to be hitting on me." I told him before ruffling his hair. "Nice try, but I appreciate the attempt." Twinkie grinned at me, barely coming up to my shoulder as an eleven or something year old kid with braids who had somehow worked his way into the racing circuit. Though I could hardly say anything, I was racing at his age even before I'd got my licence. Twinkie shifted a little guiltily before admitting that it wasn't actually his car but he'd fiddled with it and something had gone wrong before then genuinely thanking me for helping him out. "Hey, no worries kiddo. You hang in there, okay?" Smiling softly as I bumped fists with him then wandered off.

Maybe this is my world. I fit in so well here and although the air was filled with sweat, gas and engine oil, I finally felt as if I could breathe. Also, I felt closer to my brother here than I did standing at that headstone of his. This was where he really felt at home, where he let go of his cool exterior and truly belonged. If I was going to remember him, then this is where he would be most alive. Guess I gotta just face it. Cars were my life. There's no going back from that.


	2. Chapter 2

Despite everything, I still refused to actually get into a car. If I needed to get somewhere I'd take the train, the bus, walk or cycle somewhere. After my brother's death my parents weren't exactly the same. They were a little less vibrant, always carrying a cloak of sadness over them. It had been some years since my brother had been killed in that accident and since then I had moved out of my parent's house and got my own apartment. Things were more stable now. Dad actually worked a desk job now taking calls and he told me it wasn't the same as the garage but he enjoyed the interaction with people and he'd go back to the garage on the weekends to see his old buddies and he'd tinker around if he could and even helped out with the paperwork. With dad busy, mom was able to go back to work as well and with anything extra I made, I always sent to them.

We worked, it functioned and life moved on, however I always found myself going back to the streets, to the races. I heard there was a new Drift King in town so I went to take a look at things, curious to see what this new guy was like. Apparently his uncle was Yakuza but this guy didn't look all that much, more talk and less bite, I think, though still no one to mess around with. He had plenty of buddies to watch his back. Distracted by the cars I wandered around for a little while until one in particular caught my eye. A Nissan Silvia, beautifully modified with a glossy dark blue and orange body. My interest taken I took a look under the hood, noticing all the modifications and quickly ascertained that whoever built this car was an extremely good mechanic. This was no simple stuff here.

"You know, most girls check out cars and choose the fanciest ones, the ones that look nice or expensive." A voice said to me and I jumped violently, so enraptured by the engine work that the surprise made me smack my head on the underside of the hood with a painful crack. Cursing I grasped the afflicted area whilst pressing my eyes tightly shut, taking a breath to move passed the aching sensation before gradually lifting my eyes to see the guy who had startled me from my inspection. "It's not every day you see a girl actually _looking_ , especially at what's underneath the hood."

"Well thanks to you, your hood and my head are now very well acquainted." I retorted a little sarcastically, wincing as I touched the tender spot which felt as if an egg sized lump was starting to grow. Finally standing upright and focusing, I turned my full attention to the person next to me. For a moment I stopped, a little surprised. I'm not exactly sure why I stopped because he was a perfectly ordinary guy, albeit a rather good looking guy, but all the same I hesitated and any further wit or sarcasm completely disappeared. He was smiling at me with amusement, chewing on some potato chips or something. "This your car?"

"Sure is. Go ahead and look all you want. It's nice to meet girls like you every now and then. It's refreshing." Frowning slightly I arched an eyebrow at him and folded my arms, unsure if he was trying to hit on me or not. In the end I decided that he both was and wasn't, just trying to tease me a little so with an incline of my head I went back to my inspection, all too aware of this guy nearby occasionally glancing over. Before I had really got back into my inspection, I heard a loud voice yelling above the noise.

"Cora! Cora that you? Haven't seen you in weeks girl! Where you been huh?" Almost for the second time that night I smacked my head on the hood for near fright as someone slammed against my side and wrapped their arm over my neck, grinning at me.

"Hey Twink, how many times do I have to ask you not to body tackle me? I'm not exactly made of muscle, you'll break me in half one of these days now that you're all growing up." I said to him after recovering my breath. "Damn near gave me a heart attack." Twinkie grinned at me, now easily standing taller than me considering when we'd first met he'd barely stood at my shoulder.

"Then don't disappear on us so often. Where you been? Haven't seen you on the scene in a while." Twinkie said before beginning to tell me all about what I'd missed, getting me up to speed on what was hot and the latest updates that people were making on their cars before getting into a debate over the best type of tyres to use for his new car which he'd just bought and wanted my help fixing up.

"Hey, if you want my help with this Hulk car you got your heart set on then you better listen to your seniors, Twinkle."

"It's _Twinkie._ " He complained at me further for teasing him about his name so I grinned and starting to sing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' at him just for fun, dodging him as he lunged for me by darting behind the Silvia and avoiding being caught. "When I get hold of you, you're going to regret messing with me Cora!"

"Sure, sure, you talk big for someone who still can't change a centre cap!" It was all fun and games and I enjoyed teasing Twinkie a little before the racing started so he quickly yelled he'd be back before darting off to place his bet on who was going to win. Smiling nostalgically I watched him go, folding my arms as I thought about how he reminded me a little of Alex with how enthusiastic he was about cars. When he'd told me as a eleven year old boy he was determined to build a monster of a car dedicated to his favourite Marvel character the Hulk, at first I'd laughed before realising he was deadly serious and hey, if that's what the kid wants then I don't mind helping him build it. Custom design was kind of my thing, a lot of people paid me to do up their cars so long as they provided me with the materials. Custom paint jobs was also one of my things.

"So you're Cora."

"Jesus!" I swore sharply as that same guy from before suddenly appeared next to me. "You need a bell or something because one day you're going to scare me to death." I quipped before I even though about it, gripping my heart as I recovered from the surprise. The guy grinned at me, giving a laugh before eating more of his chips.

"Name's Han. Twinkie there talks about you a lot. Says you're great with cars and that you used to race." Glancing across at him I gave a small shrug of my shoulders.

"My brother's the genius with cars of the two of us, I understand all the parts and can fix up a car well enough but he was always making modifications. I just did the paint jobs really. As for racing, I haven't done that in a long while." I answered him truthfully as I listened to the first set of cars shoot off to race. "What about you?"

"I race if there's something to race for. It has to be for something important though, otherwise there's no point to it. A race is just a race, it's the goal at the end that makes it worth it." That took me by surprise so I looked at him, studying him for a moment as he observed the crowds, taking a small interest in what was happening. He had longish back hair which was neatly kept back from his face, dressed in comfortable and casual clothing and seemed to have an easy going attitude. There was something about him that I liked. He felt calm, like nothing could faze or bother him, like he could walk through a storm and call it a light shower and not worry about it. Before I realised it, a small smile was touching my lips before I quickly looked away from him, checking myself and standing upright, intending to leave. "If you want to help out on some cars, there's always work that needs doing at my place." Han told me as I left, still not looking my way however I stopped to look back at him. Quick as a flash he suddenly had a call card in his hand, smartly holding it out towards me. "Feel free to stop by any time."

"Thanks, I'll think about it." Reaching out I took the card curiously and looked it over. There was an address on one side and on the back a number which I assumed was Han's. Smirking to myself I chuckled as I walked away from the races, feeling drained and wanted nothing more than to curl up into bed. To be honest I had no intention of going to Han's place or even calling him, however it seemed that bad karma wasn't done with me yet. Within two weeks I had lost my job, my boyfriend dumped me for another woman, my apartment ceiling caved in from a flood upstairs and I'd almost been crushed had I not dived for my table and wriggled my way free.

All I had left was a few boxes of my things which I took to my parents' place and sheepishly asked if they minded me moving back in with them for a while. They had ushered me inside and fussed over me for ages, my mom worrying over my bruises and my black eye which looked like I'd been attacked by someone or been hit by a sack of bricks. There was no way anyone would consider giving me a job whilst looking like this and try as I may, I couldn't find another job anywhere. After an entire month, I decided that the only real chance I had of making money for the moment until I got back on my feet was by going back into cars. Besides, I'd promised Twinkie help with his car and I always keep my promises.

When I'd called him up and told him I had free time on my hands he'd got so excited he'd insisted that I come over immediately to check out his car, giving me his home address and I'd gone over there expecting to see a basic car in need of a few minor adjustments, custom modifications and a paint. When I saw it, I knew then I had my work cut out for me since it didn't even have four wheels. "Twink, this isn't a car. This is… _painful_ to look at." It physically hurt to see a car in such a dilapidated state.

"Sure it needs a little bit of work here and there, but after we spend a little love and care on this thing it'll be totally fine. It'll be my green monster, right?" He looked at me hopefully so I gave a long sigh before rolling up my sleeves and twisting up my long dark brown hair.

"Let's take a look under the hood then." Hooting with laughter Twinkie hurriedly popped the hood and I was glad to see it wasn't totally a lost cause. I gave him an extensive list of all the things we would need however when I realised that Twinkie didn't exactly have all the tools needed to remodel this car, he suggested we take it over to Han's. "Han?"

"You know, that guy who was checking out your ass whilst you were checking out his car way back when? The Nissan Silvia?" Remembering the car and then the man, I nodded my head and elected to ignore Twinkie's description. "Well his place has all the stuff we'll need. If I can get my baby over there, we can get hold of anything we need." So that was how I ended up at Han's place after all. The tow truck came and got the car and Twinkie jumped in for the ride and I made the excuse that I had a few errands to run so I would meet him over there so I didn't have to get into the truck with him. Vehicles in general made me uneasy when they were on the road so I took the train instead and picked up some food on the way in before following the address Twink had written down for me.

Glancing down at the paper and the messy handwriting I took a deep breath before heading on inside, glancing around me and immediately stopping to stare at all the cars. "Yo! Cora!" Twinkie waved when he saw me however I just balked and pointed at the very _expensive_ cars Han seemed to just keep lying around. "Oh yeah, these are Han's collection. Pretty neat huh?"

"Neat? These are…my god I should have stopped by sooner." Turning a circle I breathed in with a contented smile and closed my eyes to revel in my surroundings. I could see Twinkie's car wreck had already been set up on the lift so I started to search for Han to ask him if he was sure it was okay to set up here.

"Han's not here, he had to go out and do some pickups but he'll be back by tonight." I looked up as I noticed two other people were also with Twink, introducing themselves as Earl and Reiko so I greeted them warmly, telling them my name and asking to make sure it was okay to start work here and they assured me Han had already given us the go ahead so I set to work. For the most part the beginning was all about taking the car even more apart and getting rid of anything we couldn't use and beginning to replace them. Twinkie was constantly jittering with excitement, chattering away and drawing up plans on what he wanted and he was deadly serious about the whole Hulk thing.

Even after everyone else stopped work to get food and relax I kept on working, glad to keep my hands busy and my mind occupied for the time being. I worked for so long that it was dark when I looked up after hearing the rumble of a car engine sliding into the garage, rubbing my forehead with my arm as I blinked tiredly. Han got out of his car and called out casually to the others who tossed him down some food, however halfway up the stairs he glanced over and noticed me still working on the car. "Well look who finally found their way into my yard." He greeted so I lifted a hand to him.

"Well it was either this place or Twinkle's little shed he calls a garage. This is better." I answered him simply as I lowered the hood then began to clean off my hands. "Don't worry I'll be out of your hair in a second, let me just clean up and put the tools away…"

"You can stay if you want, I said you were welcome anytime. I meant it." Han said to me and I stopped, looking at him in surprise. To be honest I thought he was just being nice back then, I didn't think he had actually meant that I could come by whenever I wanted. Guess I'm not all that great at reading people as I thought. "You hungry?" Pausing for a second I checked the time, seeing it was late, dark and the next bus wouldn't come for a while so I nodded my head and a little awkwardly followed Han up the stairs to where the others were sipping on beers and soda however when Twinkie reached for the alcohol I nimbly lifted it away from him and replaced it with a coke.

"I don't think so, you can't drink here until you're twenty so you can stick to soda."

"Aw come on Cora, you're like my mom when you do that. Can't I just have a little…?"

"No." I cut him off with a warning look, taking the beer for myself instead. He complained for a little while until I started to tease him about something else and the others soon joined in, a light atmosphere warming us all as I drank a beer, ate a little food then checked my watch again. I'd have to run for the bus but I should still catch it in time, so I grabbed my bag and made a hasty goodbye.

"What's the rush? I can always drive you home if you want. Saves you spending on a bus fare." Han offered however I immediately shook my head.

"No I'm good, thank you though. I don't…you've been drinking, it wouldn't be a good idea." I offered weakly before slinging my bag over my shoulder and untying my hair. "I'll drop by again to continue work on your car Twink. Can't say when it'll be done but I'll keep you posted, so that does _not_ mean you get to cut class just to come check on things. You stay in school and do your homework or I will kick your butt all the way back there and since it's a fair distance from here, that means a lot of butt kicking." I warned him and he quickly promised to stay in school and not cut class like he'd been doing recently so I relaxed a little, nodding my head in approval before hightailing it out of there. Han had been giving me this funny look as I'd left so I wanted to just get out of there. It was always a tetchy subject with me when it came to actually driving in cars, especially after someone had had a drink or two.

Jumping onto the bus just in time I rode it back to my street before heading inside to where my parents were already asleep, wincing guiltily before quickly writing them a note apologising for being out late and explaining where I was, telling them I loved them and if I didn't see them in the morning I would definitely be back in time for dinner tomorrow. They probably hadn't been worried, but I hadn't thought to check my phone all day and there were a few missed phone calls and messages from them both, so I also made a note to pick up dinner for us all tomorrow as well. After a quick wash I fell into bed and exhaled deeply, lying awake for a while with my own thoughts. By now Twinkie would have probably told Han and the others why I was a little tense around the offer of a ride. It's not a big deal. It shouldn't be a big deal. I just hope they don't start asking me questions tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

Thankfully no one was around when I walked in the next morning. It must still be a little early for everyone else, especially considering it was a Monday morning. For a few moments I considered leaving, not wanting to make a noise and possibly wake anyone up before deciding that I would simply be quiet and not use any of the machinery for now, taking off my coat and tying up my hair so I could get to work. With any luck I would have this car ready in no time at all. All the parts had been ordered and would be here soon enough, so hopefully by Twinkie's seventeenth he'll have his newly refurbished car.

I worked for a couple of hours, stopping for coffee every now and then whilst listening to some music on the radio for a little company. After a few days I got into the routine of things, usually not seeing someone until after school hours or later in the afternoon with Han in particular being away bringing in parts which he usually sold to that Drift King, Takashi. It didn't take me long to figure out that these transactions weren't exactly legal and Han didn't always own the parts, but I wasn't going to say anything. I wasn't a snitch and to be honest, I quite liked Han. He was a nice guy considering his business. Plus he was letting me use his shop, tools and equipment for free so I owed him.

"Hey." I felt a hand on my shoulder and instantly lifted my head, blinking sleepily from where I was leaning back against the car and Han crouched down in front of me, looking a little concerned by the fact that I was taking a nap on the floor. "You look like you could do with a break."

"You're probably right." I agreed, pushing myself upright and exhaling as I closed my eyes, rubbing my neck which felt tense and took a few moments to come to my senses. "What time is it?"

"Just gone three." Han told me as he sat down in front of me, stretching out a leg and offered me some of his potato chips so I accepted, crunching on a few as I contemplated what I should do. Food was definitely a good idea and a proper rest didn't sound too bad either, however for the moment I was content just sitting there.

"You've been gone for a few days. Earl mentioned you had another shipment coming in." I said to strike up a conversation, turning my head to look at Han directly. "Did everything go okay?"

"The deal's done so there's nothing for me to worry about until the next load, but that won't be for a while now." Han answered, looking over the exterior of the car with an arched eyebrow and I gave a small chuckle as I leaned back against it.

"Not my idea trust me. The kid wanted Hulk so I'm just rolling with it." I explained and Han smirked slightly in understanding.

"You don't have to do everything by yourself you know, you can ask for help." He said to me, giving me a slightly playful look before he got up to investigate under the hood. "Did a good job by the look of things though. That pile of scrap you wheeled in here before looked like it was ready to fall apart."

"It almost did fall apart. Twink and I basically had to build it up again from scratch though the engine itself was good except for a few parts. Suspension was way off and the shock absorbers were dead, but a few more days and she should be ready to roll. I'm actually quite proud of it myself, not done a job quite like this. Ever." I mused almost to myself as I stepped back to admire my handiwork. The last thing to do would be the paintjob and a final tune up after I'd finished with the wiring and the interior, which of course had to be purple. That boy can really dream.

"You've worked hard. Maybe a little too hard. How about going for something to eat?" Han suggested to me, lowering the hood and gesturing to one of his many cars. "I'll drive." Instantly I tensed up, looking over at the car before shaking my head.

"N-No that's okay. I'm not really that hungry." I excused politely, giving him a quick smile before hurriedly turning around to hide my face, secretly cursing myself. It kind of sucked to be such a coward in front of Han, it really made me feel bad however as I pretended to busy myself, he didn't let it go.

"How come you can tell the intake valves from the oil pump, completely rewire any car and put one back together from a rusting pile of scrap but you still won't get into one?" He asked me curiously as he watched me.

"Twinkie not tell you?"

"He was unhelpfully vague when I asked. Said something about your brother and you hadn't raced since he passed." Well that was it in a nutshell, quite frankly. "I'm sorry about that, by the way. Accident?"

"Drunk driving." I answered with a weary sigh, picturing my brother in my mind as I put down the wrench I had been putting away. "He and his friends went out driving after drinking too much, they were trying to make him feel better for losing his EVO in a race to some asshole who used to creep on me all the time. They lost control of the car and went head to head with a truck. None of them came out of there alive." I explained to Han bluntly before quickly putting the rest of the tools away. "I haven't raced or got into a car since then. It just won't feel right without him there so I don't bother."

"So…you're scared?" He questioned not unkindly, however it gave me pause to think for a moment.

"I guess so. I've grown up around cars all my life but it was because of them my brother died. I just can't bring myself to trust anyone behind the wheel of a car. Not even myself." Lifting my eyes I stopped for a moment, black on black and for a moment, I found myself noting on how nice looking Han was. Not one of those steroid loving muscle heads or those stuck up insufferable pretty boys, he was just…Han. It was refreshing and I felt comfortable when I was around him.

"Alright then. We'll walk." Tossing his keys aside onto a table he walked away to grab his jacket. "Coming?" Blinking in surprise Han gave me a smile before coming towards me and taking my hand, pulling me forwards gently until I willingly followed after him, hastily reaching out to pick up my purse and coat before walking by his side. "Where do you want to eat?"

"Something American or Italian. Actually, anything's fine just so long as it's not fish or noodles. I've had enough Japanese food to last me the rest of my life and to be honest, sushi should not count as a whole meal." I prattled on senselessly, a little nervous as I shrugged into my coat and awkwardly stuffed my hands into my pockets.

"Burgers it is then. Come on, there's a place just a few minutes away from here." Han pointed so I followed along with him, sticking close as I still wasn't too sure about my way in this end of town. "Did your parents move here before or after you were born?" Han asked me suddenly and for a moment I had to actually think.

"My mom moved here when she was younger and it was about my age I think where she met my dad, who lived here all his life. I'm half Japanese, my mom came from New Zealand, hence I speak both languages and that's about it." I related to him before asking him about his background. Before I knew it we were easily talking to one another about things and when Han caught on that I knew that his 'business' wasn't exactly legal, he admitted that he didn't exactly run in righteous circles but told me about his family back in the states, especially about this guy, someone called Dominic Toretto. When he told me all about how he'd helped his crew steal over one hundred _million_ dollars' worth of cash back in Rio, I had almost choked on my food.

"You okay?"

"Uh huh." I nodded my head, clearing my throat before looking at him blankly. "But are you serious? You stole money from a crime boss and took off with it? How are you still alive?" Han grinned at me as he saluted his drink, seemingly enjoying the astonished look on my face. "Jesus Han, you've got some serious balls. No wonder you could afford all those cars back in your shop." I mused before frowning slightly. "Why are you telling me all this? This is no small deal stuff, if I told the authorities even just a sliver of the stuff you get up to they could put you behind bars for a good long while."

"Don't know, guess you just have that trustworthy vibe about you Cora." Han said simply before ordering some more fries. I watched for a moment, noticing not for the first time how his hands and mouth were always busy with something, usually eating or chewing or working on one of his cars. "What?"

"You have ketchup on your face." I said without thinking, looking to the corner of his mouth where a small red splodge sat. Han brushed it aside with his thumb then licked it off, glancing my way as I turned my attention to my drink, mulling over my thoughts privately. What did he mean trustworthy vibe? I don't think anyone had ever said that to me in my life before and it sure was a strange thing for a guy to say to a girl. I guess maybe that's just Han's way of being nice? Maybe, I don't know. The guy was just as confusing as the rest of them. Men. I tell you, it's hard enough to understand what they're thinking at the best of times. They complain enough about us women being unreadable when they're just as bad themselves.

"So I was thinking." Han began, thoughtfully broaching the subject so I looked up at him with an arch of my eyebrow. "Once we've finished here, how would you like to spend a little more time away from the shop? You've been in there every day for the best part of two weeks, I think it's about time you got out from under the hood." He said to me, watching my reaction carefully as if inwardly taking bets on how I would respond to his suggestion. For a moment I was a little stunned, unsure of how to answer or even what my answer was. I was never really a going out type of girl, always having been focused on either school or racing, so it struck me that I didn't actually know how to have a good time even if I tried.

"I don't exactly know how to let my hair down." I admitted slowly, blushing a little as I pushed around a few of my fries. "Like you said, I'm not like most other girls. I don't think I even own a dress or anything like that if you were planning on going out dancing or to a club or…something." All the while Han's smile never once faded so I tilted my head at him curiously. "You look like you know something I don't."

"Well, I know how to have a good time without needing a dress. Come on, I'll show you." With that same knowing grin on his face Han got up, left the money on the table for the waitress then picked up my coat from the back of my chair, holding it out for me so with a slight smile I let him help me into it before he then placed a hand upon my back and guided me forwards, taking me out of the restaurant and before I knew it I was being bathed in the bright lights of Tokyo. I had absolutely no idea where Han was taking me however when we ended up at an arcade, I just gave him a look which he responded to with a wink. "Told you I knew how to have a good time."

"You just love being a peculiar specimen of a man, don't you?" I asked him bluntly which earned a laugh as he placed his arm around me, gently drawing me closer out of the way of a group of kids who had come hurtling past, all shouting out to one another in excitement.

"Come on, I want to see you drive and if this is the best I'm going to get for now, then I'll take it." He told me as he lead me over to one of the racing games and I couldn't help but laugh, smiling broadly before finally I nodded my head and took off my coat, flinging it over the back of the seat as I cracked my knuckles.

"Okay then Han, you're on. I'll bet you five potato chips I can kick your butt."

"Deal." So we made deals with food and we constantly kept a tally on who owed who what. I was rather proud to say that I totally owned Han in the racing game, having played it with my brother practically every week when we were kids though with some of the other games I sucked and Han very quickly found my weaknesses and exploited them. Before long I owed Han several packet of crisps, a snickers bar and a burrito whilst he owed me a pizza, three mars bars and a new oil cap for Twinkie's car. I threw that one in just to mess with him a little.

After we'd played every game in the arcade continued to show me around town, taking me to some more places where everything seemed so alive and vibrant, even when it was simply standing on a bridge eating popcorn and watching the cars fly beneath us, pointing out any racers or models that we liked. By the time it got dark we were happily walking side by side, still talking about this and that and strangely enough, not all of it was about cars. It was just so easy talking to Han that I found myself opening up a little, telling him more about my brother and what kind of guy he'd been as well as my parents before the accident.

We were so focused on each other that we hardly noticed anyone else until a few sleek cars slid up, revving loudly to catch our attention and I immediately recognised Takashi and his cronies as he leaned out the window towards Han who exhaled. "I'll be back in a moment."

"Don't worry about it, take your time." I waved in reassurance, looking back as I took a seat and watched as Han went over to talk to Takashi who looked more perturbed than usual this evening. His jaw was clenched and his body language seemed to be completely on edge, making sharp gestures and when he got out of his car to square off with Han I sat up a little, ready to throw my drink at Takashi's head however Han calmed the situation down easily enough, pacifying Takashi who finally smirked and clapped his hand to Han's shoulder, the two of them suddenly acting as if they were best buddies. That guy gave me the chills. He wasn't exactly threatening but I feel like he has a short fuse, one that shouldn't be messed with. When Takashi glanced my way I held his gaze, hardening against him defensively and he frowned slightly before jerking his chin towards me, asking Han who I was and he looked back around at me. After Han explained my presence, Takashi lifted his hand and beckoned me to him with a flick of his finger but I didn't move. No way was I going to be summoned like some pet dog, asshole. My defiance must have shown in my face as Han very quickly smiled to me in reassurance and instead held out his hand.

"It's okay Cora, Takashi's a good friend of mine. Why don't you come on over and meet each other?" He suggested and this time agreed. Firstly because it was Han who had asked and secondly because he'd asked nicely. Takashi stiffened his jaw once more as I came over, placing my hand onto Han's to give it a quick squeeze of assurance before I then folded my arms and stood toe to toe with Takashi.

"So you're the Drift King of Tokyo." I mused, looking him up and down slowly before pursing my lips. "I'm Cora Masuda. A friend of Han's."

"So I hear. I also hear that you were a fair racer back in the day." Takashi said to me as he too folded his arms to face me down but I did not back up an inch. He didn't scare me, his entire reputation was based on how well he could drive and his uncle's status as Yakuza. "How about next time, you and me have a little race? Give the people a real showdown." He suggested however I only gave a cocky grin as I relaxed my shoulders and let my arms drop to my waist, placing my hands on my hips as I chuckled.

"Well you see, I don't race little boys just to give them the chance at an ego boost. If I ever race again, it'll be because there's something worthwhile in it for me and honey…" I trailed off as I looked him over once more before smirking, eyes lifting to meet his once more as I pointedly sidled up to Han and placed my arms through his to drape myself against him. "You got nothing that I want." With that I smirked to myself then looked directly to Han, giving him a secret wink as I lowered my voice to a silkier tone, noting how Han was smirking slightly as he arched an eyebrow at me. "I'll see you around Han but I gotta get going. Thank you for today, it was…fun." With that I purposely pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek, letting my lips barely touch his skin whilst my eyes cast back over to Takashi who was glaring at me with a deep rage and shock which only made me cackle inwardly. Han was barely keeping the laughter back as I finally pulled away and turned on my heel, both of them watching me as a strode away from there with my head held high and a constant smirk which I could not remove from my lips.


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay Twinkle, you ready?" I called out as he stood with a blindfold around his eyes, rubbing his hands in anticipation.

"Damn it women I've been saying I'm ready for the last ten minutes already, can I take this blindfold off now or what? And the name's _Twinkie_!" He informed me hotly, burning up to see his now completed and totally fixed up car which looked rather awesome, if I do say so myself. Making a face Han looked at Twinkie curiously.

"What's your real name? I don't think I ever asked."

"Me neither. Hey Twink, what's your real name?" Reiko questioned as she filmed us all on camera, smiling as Twinkie continued to shift from foot to foot impatiently as I pulled off the covering of his car.

"Nope, that's my real name, nothing else just Twinkie." He insisted rather strongly however I knew different and as the others tried to weed it out of him, I tossed aside the covering then dusted off my hands.

"His real name is Francis. Francis George Swift." I revealed and everybody looked at me. "What? I saw his ID this one time." I informed them before Earl and Reiko started laughing and Han snorted quietly to himself, chewing on some gum as Twinkie pouted impetuously at my general direction.

"Girl why you tell them that? My name is _Twinkie_ , not damn Francis George, who the hell names their kid something like that anyway?" He demanded and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Obviously your parents Twink. Sorry, I thought it was a nice name, there's nothing wrong with it at all. Now, do you want to see your car or not?"

"Yes ma'am." Twinkie immediately changed his tune, grinning once again as I leaned against the body of the car then folded my arms.

"Alright then. Take a look." Immediately Twinkie ripped off the blindfold and the moment he beheld his bright green and purple monster he almost choked on air, giving a tight squeak as he gripped his fists against his mouth and stared in wonder. I'd done everything I could to bring what he'd imagined to life, going so far as to make the body indents look like fists and a massive foot that had kicked through it and I was glad to see by Twinkie's reaction that he loved it all.

"By god woman I would marry you here and now if it was legal. Tell me, do I get the woman _and_ the car she's leaning against? Because that would be real nice." Twinkie asked and again I laughed as he hurried over and I slung my arm around his neck, knuckling his head carefully to tease him.

"How many times do I have to tell you kid that you're still way too young to be trying to hit on someone my age? Jeez, are cars and women all you boys think about?"

"Yes." Earl responded immediately and Han snorted again as I rolled my eyes. Twinkie wanted to take it out for a ride right away, Earl and Reiko both immediately agreeing and jumped into the car with him as I tossed Twinkie the keys, telling him to be careful whilst out driving and not to even think about breaking the speed limits.

"Sure thing ma'am. You sure you don't want a ride? I can take you places you only dreamed of." He wiggled his eyebrows at me as he leaned out his car so I shook my head and flicked my finger against his forehead to scold him. He never gives up, I swear he tries out all his pickup lines on me just to see if he had a chance using them on other girls. So far I think he's been widely unsuccessful. I waved them off as they sped rather unsteadily out of Han's garage, exhaling despairingly after them. I half expect that thing to come back in a wreck but I earnestly prayed that it wouldn't. I hope that boy has more sense than he lets on and doesn't crash it

"What's the chance of Twinkie crashing before he gets out of the street?" Han asked me and I shuddered.

"Don't even joke about that, I was thinking the exact same thing." I said to him as I turned around and started to clear up, picking up takeout boxes and throwing them into black trash bags in order to tidy the place since it seems to have been turned into a place to hang out rather than actually work. I rarely saw any cars in here that didn't belong to Han so I'm guessing he didn't exactly earn much through the actual garage. Maybe…maybe I could change that. "Hey Han, do you think…" I trailed off, thinking a little more about my suggestion before deciding it wasn't any of my business.

"What?" He prompted, curious now that I had started. "Do I think what?"

"It's nothing, sorry. It's just I got thinking that I don't often see many cars in here that aren't already yours." I explained to him as I started to pick up beer bottles and empty soda cans, collecting them up to throw them away too.

"And?" Han prompted me again to continue, knowing that there was more in my mind. We'd known each other less than three months and he was already reading me like a book. Damn it. "Come on Cora, I know there's more on your mind. Out with it. I'm intrigued." Pausing for a second I collected my thoughts and took a breath for courage before I turned around to face Han.

"How would you like to make a somewhat honest living?" I asked him and he arched an eyebrow and sat back on one of the work benches to signal he was listening. "You have this shop which is barely used, plenty of tools and basically every mechanic's dream come true. Sure you probably earn plenty doing what you're doing right now, but there's no harm in earning a little _more_ plus it'll provide cover for any unusual financial activity. People are going to start wondering how you're able to afford everything you can without actually working on any cars and soon enough you're going to attract unwanted attention. Now, since I'm out of work and quite honestly have almost given up finding another job that isn't minimum wage and quite frankly killing my brain cells by the minute, I can do all the work for you. I can work on repairs, keep the books and voila, perfect cover." I spread my hands as I pitched him my idea before I then bit on my lip. "Completely your choice. Shoot it down if you don't like it."

"No, actually, it's not a bad idea." Han agreed and I blinked at him in surprise.

"Wait, what?"

"You sure you shouldn't be going into real estate? I bet you could sell Bibles to the devil." Han teased me as I blinked at him again, completely taken aback at how he'd actually agreed with my idea. It was just a spur of the moment thing, I hadn't expected it to actually be a _good_ idea. I rarely had one of those but I wasn't going to back out just because I hadn't needed to actually win Han over to the plan. "So does that mean I'll technically be your boss?"

"In a manner of speaking yes, I guess so." I agreed before collapsing into a seat. "I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to actually have a job." Coming over to me Han grabbed two drinks out the fridge and handed one to me, clinking them together as he too came and sat down on one of the sofas.

"You've run into a rough patch, there's nothing wrong with that. Personally I think they're all idiots to not hire someone like you. You work hard and give it your all. I could definitely use more hands like yours around here anytime." He told me and I watched him for a moment as he saluted his drink. "Let's say…to new beginnings. I'll leave this shop to you to take care of, so do whatever you feel's right." Jolting after a moment or so of Han holding up his drink I did the same, saluting him back before I snapped the can and took a long drink. "Guess this means I'll have to move my cars elsewhere."

"Afraid so. Unless you're willing to risk them getting damaged somehow." I said to him as I leaned back against the chair and closed my eyes for a moment, relaxing into the comfortable atmosphere of Han's place. "I love this place, you're lucky to have somewhere like this to come back to Han. My dad would have wanted something just like this when he dreamed of opening up his own shop." I murmured nostalgically, eyes still closed as I waved my hand dreamily towards the doors. "He always said he wanted a large spacious place with large doors to let the light in, somewhere that felt open and welcoming with an area for everyone to relax in."

"Why don't you bring him down sometime? You know that your family is always welcome here as well, Cora." Han said to me and I looked towards him, touched at his words as he looked rather meaningfully at me, eyes burning into mine. "Family is always family, that's what Dom taught me and it's what I go by so I mean what I said. Bring your dad around any time. You don't need to ask." Feeling myself go a little lax I gazed at Han with heartfelt affection, feeling my pulse throb a little hotly as I looked at him.

"Thank you Han. I don't care what anyone else says about you. You're a good guy, even if you do steal stuff." He chuckled at that as I hid a yawn behind my hand, feeling sleepy and before I knew it, I was passed out on the couch. I woke up when it was dark, a blanket neatly tucked over me and my drink left on the table in front of me. For a moment I lay there calmly, happily dozing until I heard the music from the club next door so I groaned. Damn vibrations. Don't people sleep?

"Yo Cora! You awake yet? You been sleeping all day come dance or something!" I swear to god Twinkie if you try pull me from this sofa I will Hulk smash you into your car. "Cora? Hey Cora, wake up. Wake up already girl!"

"Twinkie you idiot, don't wake her up!" Reiko hissed however I was already opening my eyes to glare at Twinkie. "You're a dead man."

"Reiko's right Twink. If you ever wake me up again I swear I will end you." I warned him and he gulped before hastily apologising as I sat up and stretched, shaking out my hair and sweeping it back uncaringly. "What you going on about anyway? You know I can't dance."

"Yeah but you're missing out on all the fun. How do you know you don't like something until you try it?" He reasoned with me so I just looked at him blankly.

"Because I hate too many people close to me and most people piss me off regardless of the proximity. You need any more reasons than those? Because I got a whole list of them ready and waiting." Twinkie tried to reason with me, bless his heart he tried but I stubbornly refused. Not even to take a look. It wasn't until Reiko started to chime in that I began to feel a little outnumbered and slowly realising that they weren't leaving me until I agreed to go so I tried to think of excuses. "I'm tired."

"Woman you just slept for six hours."

"I'm cranky."

"You always cranky."

"The music sucks."

"The music always sucks but that's not the point, you can still dance to it."

"I can't dance."

"You don't have to dance, you can just shake your hips and wiggle your butt a bit."

"I don't have anything nice to wear." Without a word Reiko grinned and dove into her bag, rooting around and throwing various garments all over the lounge area before she picked up a slinky black shirt which sparkled delicately and looked like it would expose quite a lot of my midriff. "I'm not wearing makeup. My hair's not done. I'm covered in grease. I only have my boots. Are _any_ of these excuses working for you at all?" Grinning at me they shook their heads as Reiko then pulled out an entire arsenal of makeup, wipes, her shoe collection and hair straighteners. "My god you kids today are terrifying. Reiko, do you ever go anywhere without your entire room packed up in one bag?"

"Nope, now sit still and let me get to work. Twink, you wait downstairs for a while until I call you back up." Reiko ordered, sending him away despite his protests and suddenly I found myself being ordered around by a girl five years younger than me. Begrudgingly I did as she told me, already planning to slip away the moment they were distracted. I mean how hard would it be to lose someone in a crowd of people? My guess is I could slip away within seconds without anyone seeing me then I can just hide for a while. As I cleaned myself up from the grease of the shop Reiko straightened my hair and did my makeup, smiling and chattering away all the while as she painted my lips in a sticky substance which I guessed was lipstick though it seemed an oddly dark looking colour. Wasn't lipstick usually bright red? After that she did my eyes and defined my cheekbones with a bronze toner, making a few last minute touches before finally declaring me ready and holding up a mirror.

I looked at myself but instead of some miraculous transformation, I just felt odd. Sure the makeup was great and all and I did look very different, but it still didn't feel like me. Reaching up almost instinctively to tie back my hair Reiko scolded me in Japanese, telling me not to ruin her canvas and ordered me to get changed into the top and high heels she'd given me. "But Reiko, I can't walk in heels." After putting them on to just prove a point, she let me borrow a pair of sneakers instead. Dear Christ, anything with a heel just felt like a monstrosity, I bet they were made by men just to make a woman's butt look rounder and make it more difficult for us to run away. I'll admit though, the top did feel nice. It was slink and soft against my skin with an underlay of lace which hugged against me tightly, teasingly exposing a little more skin at my ribs with the material angling to one side.

"Twink! Come take a look at this." Twinkie was up in a flash and the moment he looked at me he whistled.

"Damn! Now had I known you could look like that, I would be chasing after you more seriously. Think you can turn that frown upside down?" He questioned however I just frowned further at him.

"Twink, for the last time, _you're still a minor_ which means it's never going to happen. Anyway, I feel ridiculous. Can I wipe it off now that you've had your fun?"

"What? No way we gotta go show everyone! Come on, come on!" Reiko and Twink both grabbed my arms and pulled me towards the door connecting us to the club through I complained all the way. Quite honestly I'd rather be working on a plan to actually set up a proper shop for Han rather than parading around with a bunch of girls who all looked like they could be fashion models. I swear they genetically breed these kind of beautiful girls in a lab or something just to make us ordinary people feel worse about ourselves.

Reiko held onto me as Twinkie disappeared off into the crowds, yelling to anyone who could hear him that he was selling American candy and chocolate which people were readily buying off him. That boy seriously knew how to sell something, if he makes a business of this he's going to set himself up for life. With one of my captors now gone, all that was left was Reiko but she clung onto me as if she knew I was planning to run away and rather forcibly dragged me over to where Han was talking to a few guys, all of whom had girls draped on their arms and I immediately felt very uncomfortable.

When Han saw me, I actually watched him do a double take, staring at me in shock as I rather grumpily allowed myself to be dragged forwards by Reiko. Someone please shoot me or something, anything to just get me out of here. There's too many people, too many hormones and way too much alcohol which meant it was a recipe for disaster. Something always happened at these kind of clubs. A fight, a brawl, a row, all it took was some broken glass and an accident and there could be blood everywhere. It's too hot, there are people pressed up against me and like I said, the music sucked.

"Wow no way, is that you Cora?" Earl questioned so I shot him a deadly glare.

"Who else would it be Earl? I'm all dressed up and being paraded around like some kind of performing monkey. I'm having the time of my life right here." I drawled sarcastically however he was too used to my bite to take it seriously, grinning at me and taking a picture as he and Reiko chattered excitedly about how great I apparently looked but right now, I felt horrible. The moment both Earl and Reiko were distracted with looking at the pictures I ducked down and quickly disappeared, wanting to get out of there as fast as I could however almost immediately I got lost among the swarm of people.

This is exactly why I dislike this kind of place. It's not real, it's just a place where people go to get drunk, take drugs and most probably find sex. If I wanted to go dancing, I'd find a concert or a rave or something like that where I actually knew the kind of music I was listening to and enjoyed with everyone else there. Smoke and mirrors. That's all this was and I couldn't have felt more out of place if I tried. Suddenly I felt a warm hand grip mine and pull me against them and before I could start fending them off me I realised it was Han, staring up at him as he gave me a comforting smile before his arm went over my shoulders and before I knew it he was walking me through the crowd.

People parted aside for him, allowing him to effortlessly lead me through a clear path with casual and easy steps whilst I staggered slightly next to him. He made it so easy and with a jolt, I remembered how my brother had used to hold my hand and lead me through the crowds by using his large and broad frame to make people part, acting as my shield to keep me secure and safe. It was different with Han. He was neither broad nor tall, however people parted for him all the same out of respect. The way he carried himself, it was like they naturally accepted that he was either going past them or through them and they had best step out his way.

Within moments Han was opening the door and letting me past first, glancing behind him before following me through. "You okay?"

"No I am not okay. I have this weird stuff caked all over my face and it feels like it's melting off my skin and also makes me feel stupid, the music was loud, there were too many people and I'm pretty sure someone touched my butt." I complained loudly as I stomped back through to the lounge and grabbed Reiko's makeup wipes, going over to the sink and running the water to splash my face and started to scrub away at my lips, cheeks and finally my eyes however by that point Han had reached me and quickly gripped my wrist.

"Hey calm down, you're only going to hurt yourself if you do it like that." He told me softly before placing his hand on my shoulder and pushing me backwards until I was sitting down on one of the seats and he pulled free a fresh wipe which he then began to carefully dab and smooth over my face, cleaning away the mess I had made, down to the last smudge and smear. "There. You look just like you now." He told me, affectionately ruffling my hair with a smile so I thanked him quietly, kicking off Reiko's shoes and searching around for my shirt which I pulled towards me and turned my back to Han so that I could take off the black one and change back. After that I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and finally I felt more relaxed, more comfortable. More me.

"Sorry I freaked out on you. I tried to tell them I didn't like those kind of clubs." I said to him a little sheepishly as he brought me a drink of water which I gratefully accepted, gulping most of it down in one go.

"That's okay, I was getting bored anyway." He excused however I gave a little teasing smirk.

"Didn't look like it to me. I saw you with those two girls hanging off your every word, and you weren't even talking to them. Who knew you were so popular?" I said to him, poking at him playfully before I sat down on the sofa and tucked up my feet.

"What can I say? I have great cars." Han spread his hands proudly and I glanced up at him as I swallowed back the water I had just taken a sip of.

"Hm, plus you're attractive. Though the cars don't hinder you at all, that's also true." I told him bluntly and he looked at me sharply, seemingly surprised that I had just come out and said my mind. "What? Have you not yet figured out that I'm blunt? Here I thought you knew me Han. That's disappointing." I teased him a little further, chuckling to myself as I put my empty cup down and pulled on my own time-worn and comfortable shoes which shaped my feet perfectly. "I'm going to get started on some plans for the shop. I'll be down in the office if you need me."

"I don't have an office." Han frowned in confusion so I turned a grin back at him.

"You do now. You know that storage area that you throw all your junk and files in? Well I'm turning it into the office and will attempt to work out a sensible filing system, if that's okay with you." I waited for an answer as Han continued to just look at me before suddenly realising I was waiting for his go ahead.

"Sure, go ahead and do whatever you like. I'm not exactly boss type material, so you can do whatever you want."

"Even set my own wages?" Now Han grinned, pointing at me warningly.

"Now that is a discussion we will have when I'm a little more sober." Chuckling together I nodded my head before climbing down to the ground floor and head over to the office type alcove with frosted glass and a door that lead into the room that tucked neatly into the corner. I set to work cleaning things up a little setting up things on the desk so that I could start on a list of things I needed to do. I'd grown up around a garage and pretty much learned the trade from my dad, it shouldn't be too hard plus I have plenty of experience marketing to people. If I can get this place on the map then I know Han's reputation alone in the driving world would have cars flocking in here, let alone mine though admittedly it's not as famous as Han's.

I worked for a few hours into the night, my bunk already set up with the others so I could crash whenever I wanted. My parents had got used to me sometimes not making it home at night and I was an adult anyway so they didn't really mind. In fact when I get home tomorrow and tell dad about this new job, he's going to be over the moon. Maybe I can ask him advice and he can help me plan out a few things. If I ask Han nicely, he might even be willing to let dad come here as a part time employer, though maybe that's pushing it a little. Han's been wonderful, beyond amazing but I don't want to take him for granted. I don't want to appear to be leeching off him, because that's the last thing I want. I'll pay my dues fair and square. If there's one thing I learned from racing it's accepting that you had to settle up afterwards, especially after losing.

"You know…you _could_ just…not work tonight?" Han suggested as he stuck his head round the door. "You don't have to be responsible and sensible all the time. Why don't you relax a bit?" He suggested as I finished up my second list of things to do and my flow diagram of how things needed to be done as well as several plans that I wanted Han to look over.

"Well considering I had a six hour nap I'm not exactly tired and I wanted to do something useful. Since you've let me crash at your garage a few times and let me use pretty much all your stuff to fix up Twinkie's car, I figure I owe you one." I said to him and he tilted his head at me curiously as I tapped my pen against the thick wad of paper I was steadily building up. The corner of his mouth tilted upwards and I relaxed into the warmth that Han seemed to naturally give out. Lifting his hand he held it out towards me and I looked at it, contemplating for a moment before giving in.

Taking his hand I let him pull me towards him out of the newly established office and out into the open where he lifted up the remote for the sound system and hit play. Listening for a moment a gentle thrum of music began to sound through the speakers, playing music which I wouldn't ordinarily listen to however it was nice and slow, the steady beat giving me a definite rhythm which I could follow as Han placed my other hand on his shoulder before he took my waist, closing the distance between us.

At our closeness I felt my heart begin to pulse with the music, powerfully thumping in my chest as my blood raced through me, the breath catching in my throat as Han leaned his forehead against mine and slowly began to sway with me to the music, eyes closed as if to also revel in our closeness. A strong surge of attraction flared through me, borne through affection and friendship which now began to become more defined and obvious to my own mind as I looked up at Han. I was right. He really was attractive and god damn, I have him all to myself right now with no interruptions, no one else pressing against us and no toneless music blaring senselessly in our ears.

With our fingers closely interlocked together, I started to feel that attraction deepen further as Han began to tilt his head slightly, still swaying with me and I closed my eyes instinctively, gently breathing as I felt his head dip towards me. All at once his head suddenly crashed against my shoulder and I was jarred out of the moment with a jolt, lunging to catch him as he slumped against me. "Jesus!" Struggling with Han for a moment I finally had him balanced against me, helping him to stand upright as he groaned. "And here I was thinking that was going in a whole other direction. God damn you Han." I complained quietly to myself before beginning the long, arduous task of getting Han back upstairs and onto one of the sofas, tucking him in with the blanket until finally, I let myself sit down.


	5. Chapter 5

Han didn't remember anything about what had happened last night past the point of helping me take off my makeup. To be honest I had been surprised he had been as drunk as he had been considering he had been walking and talking just fine, however Twinkie explained to me that Han was one of those drunks who appeared perfectly fine before suddenly crashing, which explained a lot. I didn't tell him about our little dance or the fact I thought he had been going to kiss me, I kept that to myself. In the meantime, after plenty of water and some carbs, he was back to normal and was helping me set things up to make this into a proper repairs shop. The word was spreading like wildfire and we already had appointments booked for when we were officially going to open to the public, people wanting Han specifically however after learning that I was going to be the main one doing the work, they were happy enough that Han was on call.

I went through everything I could think of. Supplies, rotas, finance plans, schedules, guarantees, contracts, licensing, publication, every single little detail I could think of until finally we were ready and well ahead of schedule. A few days before we were due to open, I brought my dad down to the shop, wheeling him inside and the moment he looked around at all of Han's cars which he was still yet to move into the safe space at the back and the adjoining garage, he started to get a little misty eyed. "You okay daddy?" I asked him softly, placing my hand on his shoulder and he grasped onto it tightly.

"It's just like I pictured my own shop to look like." He said to me so I smiled and kissed his cheek.

"I know, I figured you'd like it." I smiled at him and he chuckled, leaning against me before I offered to take him for a tour which he readily accepted. When Han and the others came back my dad immediately lifted his head as I called up to the top waving him down. "Hey Han, Earl, Reiko, come meet my dad. He's been wanting to meet you." I invited and Han very quickly came down, dropping everything he was carrying and as he passed me, his hand brushed against my arm without either of us even thinking about it, however my dad looked to him quickly as Han came forward and politely bowed low in front of him, showing his respect and reverence as he introduced himself in Japanese before then extending his hand in the western style of greeting. My father smiled approvingly as he also bowed then shook Han's hand.

"I haven't seen my little girl this happy in a very long time, Lue-kun. I express my gratitude for you being part of her newfound contentment. We are indebted to you." Han was surprised at my father's words and very quickly assured him that they were lucky to have me and it was nice to finally have someone to straighten out the mess for once. That made my father laugh, agreeing that I had a tendency to keep things rather strict and orderly to which I instantly complained.

"Come on now, you two can't go ganging up on me. You're supposed to be on my side dad, don't go betraying me now. We're thick as thieves you and I." I grinned as I wrapped my arms around him and embraced him lovingly as Rieko and Earl hurried forwards, both of them quickly trying to clean off their hands before they too bowed and introduced themselves the same way Han had done. My father immediately seemed to approve of them all and Reiko offered him tea which he accepted as Han led him over to his cars and opened up the hood to all of them, allowing him to inspect them all though he seemed rather partial to the Nissan Silvia just as I had been. The two of them were soon talking rather intensely with one another and I stepped back to watch them, smiling to myself.

"Cora, are you alright?" Reiko asked me, touching my arm and with a blink I realised I had tears in my eyes so I quickly wiped them away.

"Yes. It's just, I haven't seen my father this lively in a very long time. Not since Alex died. He always had his old garage where he used to work and he still loves it there, but I think for him it was also painful seeing as there were so many memories there." Nodding my head we both watched as my father began to instruct Han on how to actually make improvements as he wheeled himself underneath the car after Han had it raised up on the lift. "This would have been my brother there had he not died, I think dad always regretted that he didn't spend more time with Alex outside of cars. Now cars are all that the both of us have left of him. That's why neither of us have given them up completely."

"Sounds like you three were very close. I'm glad you brought him here Cora. You should bring him by more often, I'm sure there are plenty of things he can teach us. Look, Han's already making adjustments to Mona." Ah yes, the 'Mona Lisa', as Twink calls her. She was a rather perfect car and Han had spared no effort building her up from practically nothing. Giving Reiko a smile I headed over to see what those two kids were up to and almost immediately I could tell that my father and Han had already established a good friendship. Even after mom dropped by to take my father home, Han was rather enthusiastically telling me about all the suggestions my father had made and he was straightaway drawing up the plans and making the calculations. He reckoned he could make it at least three seconds faster so I gently reminded him that he could play all he wanted after he'd moved his other cars.

"Who's the boss around here?" He questioned me so I gave him a look. "Right. I'm moving them, I'm moving them." Earl sniggered at Han's submissiveness which earned him a dirty rag in the face from Han who then told him to help him move things around, grabbing the keys from the office and started up the cars, moving them two by two. Once the floor was clear I started double checking the stocks and accounts, carefully filing things away into their rather methodical and systematic order I had arranged them into. "Well at least I'll never be able to say I don't keep accounts. I think you could probably run the government you order things so well." Han mused to me as he leaned against the door.

"Anything would have been an improvement from the mess you kept beforehand Han. I think all you did was just throw stuff in here." I said to him thoughtfully as I filed the last document away. "Okay, things are filed alphabetically and then by year and month. Your tax files are over here, customer references will go here and…how about I just label things?" I suggested as I looked at Han's blank face.

"Yeah, that sounds better." He agreed and I laughed softly with amusement as I opened up one of the desk drawers and picked up the roll of sticky back labels I had, starting to write things down and stick them to the folder case so that everyone would be able to find their way around the office. "Everyone's gathering for the race tonight. You coming?"

"Sure, let me just finish up here then I'll head on over." I nodded my head, continuing with my labelling however when Han didn't respond I looked up, seeing him still standing there. "Don't worry, I'll catch the bus over so you don't have to wait for me. I'll only be about thirty minutes behind you. Forty tops."

"How about I drive you?" I almost dropped my pen as I wrote, going very still for a moment before I recovered myself.

"I have things to finish here."

"Come on, those labels and that pen will still be here when you get back and they'll still be here in the morning. You can leave it for now, Cora, so it's not a real excuse." Han said to me as he walked over and deftly lifted the pen from my fingers and tossed it back onto the desk. "Everyone else has already left, Twink will meet us there which means it's just you and me left. I promise I'll drive slow and careful." He told me reassuringly as he turned me around to face him with his hands resting against my arms. Looking at me questioningly he then smirked in challenge. "What, you don't trust me?"

"Of course I trust you Han, it's other people I can't trust and there are plenty of other morons out on the roads." I reasoned with him, stubbornly folding my arms however Han wouldn't give in.

"Come on. Don't you miss driving? Feeling the vibrations throughout your body, the thrill of the acceleration, the feeling of outracing all your problems? I know you do Cora, I can tell." Han told me gently as he reached up and tenderly pushed back my hair behind my ears and when I felt his fingertips brush against my skin I felt myself blush slightly as the low tone of his voice started to make my pulse race. Steady feelings started to rise inside me and in that moment I wanted nothing more than to prove myself brave to Han, show him that I had nerves of steel and that I could overcome anything, but there was that small voice at the back of my mind telling me not to give in. To not take the risk. Anything could happen out there and even though I knew that it was irrational to think like this, I couldn't help it. "You can trust me Cora. I won't let anything happen to you, not now or ever. Just take my hand."

Stepping back a little Han offered it out to me, eyes never once leaving mine as I held my breath in thought. There was an inward war of conflict, one argument raging against the other until finally my body moved on its own without the consent of my mind. My fingers brushed against Han's, pausing before taking his hand more securely and he gave me that heart stopping smile of his before drawing me after him, his car ready and waiting out front and when he opened the door for me he helped me get in, still holding my hand as to make sure I didn't trip or lose balance or anything. The moment I settled back against the seat I felt a wave of panic which I forced myself to swallow down, sitting tense and completely stiff as I closed my eyes and tried to force myself to relax.

When Han came around the other side and effortlessly slid into the car he glanced across to me before reaching out and taking my hand again. "Hey." Peeling my eyes open I looked at him with a tight expression, doing my best to try and not look afraid but desperately failing. "I'm right here." He promised me and suddenly, I felt a lot calmer. Exhaling the breath I had been unwittingly holding I flexed my fingers and talked myself through it in my head, putting on my seatbelt and giving a nod of my head.

"Okay. I'm ready for this. I am actually in the car." I said mostly to myself however Han chuckled all the same.

"Baby steps. We'll drive slow just like I promised. No speeding tickets today." That made me look at him with a half smile.

"You don't even _have_ license plates."

"No, but if I did, we still wouldn't be getting speeding tickets." He responded before starting up the car. He glanced my way again however when the gentle hum of the engine began to rise up through me I found myself relaxing into the sensation. It was so nostalgic and familiar that I couldn't help but find myself revelling in the sensation once more. Han was right, I had missed this. We hadn't even moved yet. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Han watched me for a moment before slowly inching forwards. I felt a sudden dropping sensation in my stomach but I held onto my nerves with everything I had as Han slowly pulled out onto the road before then joining the flow of traffic. Like he promised we went as slowly as possible, I don't think we even went over thirty the entire time however as I got used to the movement and vibrations of the car once more, I found myself relaxing further and further until I realised I was smiling. "You really are amazing Han." I said to him as I leaned my head slightly out the window to feel the delicate breeze. "Wait until my dad hears about this. He'll want to adopt you immediately."

"I got no complaints about that. Your dad is rather incredible himself." Han responded and my smile grew further as I turned to look at him. Feeling a spark of courage I twisted around in my seat and leaned across to kiss his cheek, pressing my lips against the smooth coolness of his skin before I drew back, meeting his surprised gaze as I smiled.

"I'm serious. Thank you Han."

"You're welcome." He answered a little slowly, still blinking at me as I turned my face back to the window to gaze out at the passing lights of the city, oblivious to Han still staring at me before he snapped his focus back to the road. When we finally rolled up everyone cheered as Han's rather iconic car was swiftly recognised, however when he parked and I stepped out, most people went silent as they stared at me so I just shot them a look as they started to whisper and the rumour quickly began to spread. Within moments Twinkie was on me.

"Yo! You finally got in a car? Man I totally wish I had been there to see. Hey Han, how'd you manage it boy? I been trying to get this woman to ride and drive for _years_." Twinkie was beside himself with excitement as Reiko and Earl joined him, congratulating me on getting over my fear but I waved them off, telling them it was no big deal and stop making such a fuss however before things could calm down, the crowd parted to reveal Takashi, his favourite followed Morimoto and that poor girl he drags around everywhere with him, Neela.

"You driving again?" Takashi demanded, walking straight up to me and getting way too close for comfort however Han reached out his hand and gently made him step back as my face naturally slid into a defensive scowl.

"Easy there. It was just one ride, no big deal. Aren't we here to race? Let's get this thing going shall we?" Han called, getting everyone back into the atmosphere however Takashi was still eyeballing me.

"Well?" He demanded to know so I grit my teeth and tried to reign in my temper. This guy was just begging for a smack to the face. If I was strong enough I would throw a tyre at him or something. Probably something heavier so that it would hurt more.

"Like Han said. It was just one ride." I responded with a dark warning tone in my voice, Reiko and Earl nervously shifting behind me so I squared my shoulders a little more and lifting an arm, making a gentle motion to assure them that everything was okay. "No big deal." Takashi sneered at me slightly, glowering hotly with that unchecked temper of his. I don't know what his problem was, but I get the feeling that he didn't like me very much. Must be the way we both first met, guess he didn't appreciate being made a fool of.

"Like I thought. You're a coward." It took everything I had in me not to respond to that and Takashi smirked at me, thinking he had me pegged however as my fists clenched tightly, Han immediately stepped in and placed a hand on my shoulder, leaning in close and whispered softly in my ear so that only I could hear him.

"Keep it cool Cora. You start something with Takashi then you'll not only have him but all his associates against you and that's a feud you don't need. Come on, take a breath and walk away with me." The feel of his lips occasionally brushing my ear was enough to distract me, slowly turning my head into him so that when our eyes met, our faces were extremely close. He smelled a little like the barbeque flavour chips he must have just eaten, I could almost taste it on his breath and it made me smile a little at the thought that Han was still Han, eating his snacks just to keep himself busy. His fingers laced through mine and I gave a small nod of my head, turning to follow him as he gave a quick and easy going excuse to Takashi as a means to remove me from the situation.

To be honest I was glad that Han pulled me away from there because one more word from Takashi could have secured him a black eye and a permanent vendetta between us. "Thanks Han. Again." I exhaled after all anger had finally disappeared, Han making me take a seat against Twinkie's Hulk car.

"No problem. I doubt Takashi would stand a chance against you should things get ugly. My money would have been on you, hands down." He said as he sat down next to me, opening up another packet of chips and offered me some so I accepted. "You think any decent racers will show tonight?"

"Probably. It's the high season and people travel a lot around the summer months so we'll probably get a few tourists and familiar faces. What about you? You going to race tonight?" I asked him though I suspected it would be a no and sure enough he shook his head.

"Nothing worth racing for. I just enjoy the view." He said, looking across at me and I hummed half-heartedly in agreement as I scanned for any new cars and saw a couple that I liked the look of so after a few minutes I touched Han's hand as I slid off the hood, telling him I was going to take a look around at the newcomers. "Be careful, don't get into anymore standoffs." He called after me so I turned back with a smile, making a cross over my heart as I walked backwards before disappearing into the crowd. It was much easier to move around here as most people collected themselves in their groups or hung around the racetrack, plus the sound of car engines roaring drowned out the sound of any music that might have been playing. I took my time taking a look at some of the new cars, getting into conversation with the owners about the work they'd done and they were quite happy to show off their achievements, their cars being their pride and joy and the smile never once left my face as I also told them all about the cars I had worked on and even brought up the subject of my brother's old EVO.

I hadn't seen that car since the day he had lost it and part of me wanted it back. I knew it would make my father happy to see it again and my mother would be glad to have another piece of Alex back home, however I haven't heard a single thing from the asshole who had won it off him. From what I gathered he'd been caught possessing drugs and had been sent to jail a few years back for other crimes as well and I had no idea when he would be out. Maybe if I saved up enough money I could buy it back from him, though he was one of those pretentious pricks who would gloat in front of you and stubbornly refuse to give you back what you wanted simply to torture you a little for it.

When the races started to go ahead I made my way back to Reiko and the two boys, Han still hanging with Takashi who had his arms rather possessively laced around Neela. Losing interest almost immediately I craned my neck to watch the first two racers streak forwards, quietly calculating the make and models of the car as well as the noticeable adjustments made from their sound before determining who I thought was going to win. Usually I was right, however not always. Alex had used to make bets all the time and also had a good eye for a winning car, however whenever he lost, he usually lost quite a lot and then he'd be forced to race in order to make up the money, though he never complained about that fact.

As I watched the races continue on, I started thinking about my drive over here with Han, contemplating how it felt being back in a car again. It had been nice, however there was still that underlying edge of wariness. Tonight had been a push over the edge that had been unexpected but not completely unwelcome, however I think one ride was more than enough for today. Seeing that everyone was distracted I quietly slipped away, sliding off the back of Earl's car and disappeared from sight, sending a text to Reiko after to tell her not to worry and I had just gone home to see my parents. My dad was overjoyed when I told him I'd finally gotten into a car and when I told him that Han had managed to persuade me to take a drive, I listened to him go on for a good hour and a bit on how much he liked Han and that he had sensed that he was a good boy, telling me that Han would be good for me and I should definitely stay close to him.

It made me smile to myself, thinking that my father didn't know everything about Han and that he wasn't completely golden, but I think that's what I liked about him. He was open and honest about who he was when you were close enough to him that it mattered. He didn't hide anything, didn't try to pull the wool over your eyes. With Han you always knew where you stood and seeing as how much time and effort he had made for me, I couldn't help but continue to think about him even after dad had scolded himself for going on too long and joking telling me that I should be the one prattling on about him instead. I did, in my own way. In my head. Dad's little 'Han is wonderful' episode got me thinking all about Han, in particular his hands. He had very strong, warm hands, much bigger than mine. It was probably stupid, but the small girlish part of me was grateful that I had held his hand so many times.

Maybe I should start making a move on him, or at least try to figure out exactly what it was I was feeling and what I wanted, otherwise I might end up losing him to someone else.


	6. Chapter 6

Within a week business was booming. We had lists and lists of people wanting to book appointments and get their cars into Han's garage just to get them looked at and modified. We had endless demands and I actually had to enlist Earl and Reiko's help after school in order to get some of the work done when Han wasn't around. I had to limit everything to what I could manage alone for the most part though Han had agreed to hire extra help during the day on certain days of the week which helped a lot with the simple stuff, though sometimes I found myself teaching them as I went whenever I was making modifications though I was glad whenever the kids came back as they didn't need to be constantly directed. They just got on and did it and enjoyed the fact they got some money in their pocket for their trouble.

I liked it better when Han was there, because usually those were the days when our part timers weren't around and it was just the two of us working on this car or the other and the time alone made me feel even closer to him. At least on my side it did. I still wasn't exactly sure how Han felt, he kept those kind of things very reserved and it was difficult to read him when he didn't want to be found out. With extra cash coming in, Han was able to make even more improvements and adjustments to the shop, buying in better equipment and parts we needed to fix up cars that were brought to us in a total wreck.

Soon enough we had our routine and everything was going perfectly. Within a few weeks our part timers were able to work without direction and we had ourselves a cosy little business going for us which made Han even richer than he was before, that multi-millionaire. Sometimes I forgot just how rich he was so it made me laugh whenever he asked someone for change to go buy snacks from the new vending machine he'd just put in which was basically just for him to have a steady supply of snacks to eat.

The work was tiring but I lived for it and I found myself waking up every day looking forward to the chores and extensive list of things to do. My dad came by at least once a week to check up on me and see how things were going and I had to thank him when he started to berate some of the mechanics and engineers for whatever it was they were apparently doing wrong and he'd wheel himself over rather assertively and direct them on how to do their job properly, also teaching them on the go all about specific cars and their kinks, having at least thirty years' experience on all of them so they listened reverently, sometimes even taking notes if they were working a graduate scheme and could use them for their classes.

We kept Han's side business well away from the part timers, keeping up the front of a good, legal business which I maintained from the office by keeping the books, burning the candle late into the night to make sure things got done before the next day. Things were great and rolling very smoothly, everyone working close together and I even started to help the kids with their homework when their finals came up, spending even more of my time at the shop with them. Twinkie worried the most about his exams but the kid was smarter than he gave himself credit for so I wasn't worried about him, he just sometimes needed a little push in the right direction.

The kids had already left for home a long time ago but I had been too tired to move, leaving the lights on upstairs and resting for a little while until I heard Han come in from next door, a momentary burst of loud music, voices and vibrations until the door closed and it was muffled once more. "Cora?" Han's voice roused me from my rest so I turned myself up to face him, giving a smile as I saw his figure blot out the light.

"Hey." I murmured sleepily as he crouched down next to me, making it easier for me to see him without squinting. "What time is it?"

"Late, have you been here all this time?" Nodding my head I rubbed my face to try and wake myself up a little, yawning into my hand as Han gave a gentle smile. "You work too hard sometimes Cora. Would it kill you to say no for once?"

"No." My immediate response made Han laugh however as I began to fall back asleep he quickly but carefully shook my shoulder.

"Don't fall asleep here Cora, it's not exactly ideal and you'll be on your own. Come on, do you want me to take you back to your parents?"

"They're out of town for two weeks. I saved up some money and sent them on holiday as an anniversary gift." I said to him as I sat up a little and untangled my hair which had got caught in my jacket whilst I'd slept. "The place felt empty so I've been crashing here for the past few nights. Feels more homely."

"You're a strange woman Cora. Come on, I got a better idea in that case." Still only partially asleep Han managed to get me up onto my feet before suddenly picking me up off the ground though I hardly felt it at all. He took the lift down and carried me over to his car, placing me inside though I could sense he was being careful and cautious, watching me carefully to make sure I didn't suddenly wake up and panic before getting into the driver's seat, my bag in his hand which he placed in the back before driving me away from the garage which he locked up behind him and set up the alarm.

All the while he drove the engine lulled me back into sleep so that the next time I partially came around, I was in an unfamiliar garage however I could see evidence of Han all over the place. Tools and wrappers were left everywhere, empty crisp packets and bottles loitering around as he pulled me from the car. "You awake? Cora?"

"Just barely. Where are we? How many garages do you actually own?" I asked him in slight confusion, not quite realising that he had driven me to wherever this place was.

"Since you didn't want to go back to an empty home, I figured my place was the next best option. Make yourself comfortable, what's mine is yours. For the time being." He amended afterwards with a smirk at me as he placed his arm around me and guided me into the elevator as I rested my head against his shoulder, tucking myself into him so he pulled me more securely into him as we went upwards. The bright light that glared downwards awoke me a little more so by the time the doors opened and revealed a rather luxurious penthouse suite, I had to actually blink and rub my eyes to make sure I wasn't dreaming. "Millionaire, remember?"

"You rich snob." I said to him jokingly as I couldn't hold back a laugh. "So this is what a few million American dollars can buy? You know, I think I would have joined you on that bank robbery if I could have had all this." I mused as I stepped inside and looked around me in wonder. It was all very modern, very western and _very_ expensive looking. I was almost afraid to touch anything in case I got elbow grease on it or something. "So…for my birthday…"

"Don't even think about it."

"Damn. It was worth a try." I grinned as I took off my coat and placed it in the closet with the other coats before stretching, feeling my spine ache a little from where I had slept funny on that couch. "Are you hungry?" I questioned as I showed myself around the apartment, familiarising myself with the surroundings. "Because if you have any food in then I can make you something if you want."

"I'm fine. Maybe for breakfast." Han answered, offering me a drink which I accepted, taking a whiskey from him as he joined me with the same before we both sat down on his couch.

"Oh my god this feels amazing, your sofa is so much more comfortable than the one back at the shop." I instantly revelled in the soft plushness of the cushions, wriggling into them to get more comfortable before sighing in content. "Forget a bed, if I had a sofa like this I would sleep on it forever."

"You sleep on sofas all the time anyway." Han noted so I flicked at his leg weakly, chuckling before I took a swig of the whiskey, the alcohol bringing warmth and a particular heat to my mouth as the flavours tickled my tongue. We sat in comfortable silence for a while, finishing our drinks before Han took me by the hands and led me to the guest room, telling me to get comfortable and sleep as long as I liked and that I didn't have to go to work tomorrow if I didn't want to however before he'd even finished talking I had crashed into the bed and fallen asleep, none the wiser to his considerate words however he had chuckled, walked over to me and pulled the duvet cover over me to keep me warm, brushing back my hair before switching off the lights.

By morning I felt infinitely better rested though for a few moments I was confused as to my surroundings before I remembered where I was. Getting up I went into the bathroom to freshen up, using the spare utensils to take a shower and feel a little more human again before getting dressed and heading out front. Once more I took a tour of the apartment, avoiding Han's room because he was probably still sleeping. When I went to the window I opened the curtains and instantly took in the sight of Tokyo spread out before me, still bathed in the early morning glow of pale light and the gentle hum of quietness.

It was a breath taking view and I berated myself for not taking a look last night when it was dark and the lights were brighter. I bet the sunsets and sunrises were beautiful to watch from up here. Han really chose a great place to live, though from the looks of things he wasn't here often. The place looked barely touched and there was very little personality about it, nothing that said Han. It was just a place for him to crash every now and then, there wasn't even much in the cupboards so I grabbed my coat and purse as well as a spare set of keys which I found lying quite obviously on the table before heading out to the nearest shop.

Buying in a few supplies to make breakfast I got back before Han had even woken up, the day only just starting to begin as everyone else began to awaken for their days and head to work or school. Soon enough I was cooking in the kitchen, making breakfast for both myself and Han. It must have been the smell which woke him up because after a while, a sleepy looking Han walked in, slightly dishevelled as he wandered over to the breakfast table. "Where did the food come from?"

"I went to the store at the end of the street to buy a few things. You clearly don't spend enough time here to actually supply yourself with food because all I found was alcohol and instant noodles." I said to him with a soft smile as I flipped over the pancake. "You like pancakes right?"

"You like cars, right?" He returned effortlessly so I took it as a yes, passing him a plate with the first stash as well as the bacon and syrup. "I clearly need a woman in my life."

"That you do Han, though women do not exist to simply mother you. You should probably learn how to take proper care of yourself first otherwise you'll be stuck with someone like me for the rest of your life nagging you about everything." He gave me a funny look for a moment so I gave him a sweet smile before turning off the hob and taking my own stack of pancakes around to the breakfast table to join him, melting some butter on the top before adding the syrup which I heartily enjoyed. Since I cooked Han insisted on cleaning up, washing the dishes and the pan before putting everything away whilst I cleaned my fingers and lips from the syrup.

"So, what shall we do today?" Han asked, making me look up at him questioningly. "I said you could have the day off, so what do you want to do?"

"Han I can't just take a day off, someone has to open up the shop and…"

"We can stop by and sort that out later, but as your boss I'm telling you that you've been working yourself to the bone and you deserve some down time. So, where would you like to go? Anywhere you like." He asked me and I considered for a moment before deciding that he was probably right and I could do with taking things easy for a while. Just for a day, just today and we have to be back in time to close up the shop and for me to settle the accounts.

"Well, I've never actually been outside of Tokyo. My mom used to talk about the ocean where she lived when she was a girl. I'd like to go see it." Already I was planning a trip in my head having mapped it out countless times before since I was a child. I'd always wanted to take the train to go to one of Japan's beaches but never had the money or time spare, but now I think if I hurried I could probably get there before lunch and spend the entire day there, however Han was already getting up and going to get our coats.

"Do you want to be brave and drive today?" He offered however I just stared at the keys.

"You mean drive there? Han, that's at least an hour's drive if we're going to one of the closer beaches, probably two hours if we end up driving slowly and then we'd have to drive back. I don't…" As I trailed off Han reached around me and pulled me up from my seat, making me blink as he set me on my feet then held out my coat for me, letting me slide my arms into it though his fingers brushed against a tear in the sleeve, seemingly considering it for a moment before disregarding it though now I had noticed it, I made a mental note to stitch it back up when I next get home.

"We have all of today to get there so it doesn't matter how long it takes. Come on, how much do you want to see the ocean?" A lot. I really, really wanted to go so I hesitantly nodded my head in acceptance but refused to take the wheel, warning Han that if he was going to make me do this he was stuck with all the driving which he readily accepted and urged me to get moving so that we could head over to the shop, open up and leave instructions for everyone. I fussed that this was highly irregular and rather unprofessional to just suddenly take off however Han reasoned that things were going well and that everything was just minor work and repairs and any specific modifications that required either of us were not due to be done for a while yet. "Besides I'm your boss. You have to do what I tell you." He finished so I just scowled at him.

"That's a terrible way to end your argument Han, you were being so reasonable and realistic but then you end with that?" I queried however he just grinned at me. It took me a while to settle back into being in a car again however by the time we got to the shop I was a little more comfortable with it and after we'd opened up and left instructions on the noticeboard, explaining that neither of us would be in today and to only call us in an emergency, leaving our contact information down below before taking off.

Once again Han drove slowly and rather carefully, seemingly making it a point to always check his mirrors and indicate that it made me chuckle. "I bet you haven't driven like this since you were trying to get your driver's license." I said to him and I watched his lips tilt upward into a smirk.

"What makes you think I ever got my license?" My face dropped immediately, white faced panic settling in before Han started to laugh, making me glower at him darkly as he grinned and flashed me a card with his picture and details on it. "Relax I'm just messing with you. Here, see for yourself." He handed it over to me so I curiously took the card, shooting him a final dark look before I turned it over. Han Lue. "That's one of the few identifications I have that have my real name on it. Mostly I use fake IDs and passports to travel around. Well, I did when I was a criminal. My name has been cleared since then."

"But then you started stealing again." I mused, nonplussed and a little amused. "I thought the point of a new leaf was not to go back to old tricks."

"Can't help it. A man can only do what he knows. Besides, my record is clean, I just can't get caught." That mischievous glint in his eyes brightened and I looked at him for a while, learning a little more about him as I understood more.

"You really enjoy this life, don't you?" I asked him and he sent me a questioning glance. "I can see you do. You like the thrill of the chase and being a supposed bad guy when really you're a nice guy doing bad things. A little like Robin Hood, only you don't do the whole giving back to the poor thing." I mused as I opened the window a little.

"Does that bother you at all?"

"Not one bit." I responded lightly as I listened to the wind rasp outside, letting a little fresh air inside before letting it slide closed once more. "If it makes you happy then I'm all for it. Everyone finds their own way in life and so long as you're not hurting anyone then I don't particularly see why it should matter what you do or how you provide for yourself. If things had gotten bad for my family way back when, I probably would have jumped into the same circuits you're running right now. I would have done anything to make sure my family were seen to, so I don't think I can judge you at all since I would have done just as you do and probably even worse if it came to it." I reasoned and Han seemed a little surprised by my admittance.

"To be honest I wouldn't have pegged you for a crook, but I guess everyone has that little bit inside them that would do anything to survive. You should meet Dom someday, I think you'd like him. When I rolled with him, we went by a code which we did not cross or break. Said it separated us from other people that had no loyalty to one another, nothing keeping them together except greed. We were family and that meant something important to Dom. He's a good guy."

"Maybe you should invite him over sometime, I really would like to meet him, sounds a bit like you." I mused as I gazed out the window, watching the world sail by. "You know I won't exactly take part in anything illegal Han, but if you ever need help then you can always come to me, alright? When it comes down to it, I guess we're all family too and that means I won't ever turn on you and I won't squeal on you to anyone. So you can trust me."

"I know that Cora. I know." Han said softly, reaching out his hand to find mine and gave it a warming squeeze. "I always said you were one of a kind."

"You bet I am." I agreed cheerfully before counting down the minutes until we would reach the beach. When we finally got there, Han insisted that I closed my eyes and let him lead me to the shore so I indulged him, keeping my eyes shut until I heard and felt pebbles underneath my feet. When he finally told me to open my eyes, I saw a massive expanse of blue. It swept before me all the way to the horizon like an infinite blanket that lay over the earth, cloaking it in the vast endless depths of rolling waves and shifting hues of blue which dazzled my eyes as I breathed in the salt of the air and listened to the sounds of water as it rolled and churned, sweeping back and forth again and again in an endless pull. "Wow." I exhaled, unable to look away as Han stood next to me.

"Want to walk along the shore?" He offered and I nodded my head, unsure if the tears in my eyes were from the salt or the fact that I felt emotionally moved that after twenty two years I had finally made it here. Seeing that I wasn't moving on my own Han laced his fingers through my hand and together we walked along the beach, the pebbles crunching underneath our feet as the white foam lapped against the damp stones, constantly bathing them as the tide continued to push further inland. "So was it everything you imagined?" Han asked me after a while as I had recovered from my initial wonder and simply enjoyed the sensations of the beach.

"I guess so, it's much better than looking at pictures I can say that much. Plus the air feels much fresher out here than in the city and there's practically no one about. This is my kind of place." I smiled contentedly as I watched the ocean surf. "What about you?"

"I'm happy wherever I can find fast cars and good company." Han decided after contemplating my question for a few moments, our hands still linked together and I was in no hurry to separate myself from him. To be honest I don't think Han had even noticed so I kept quiet, enjoying our little walk together as the beach steadily got a little busier as time ticked by. He insisted on taking me out for lunch and let me order whatever I wanted before taking another walk up the beach, skimming pebbles across the ocean water though Han had to teach me the trick as at first I sucked.

The day we spent together was a day I truly cherished as I felt tranquil and rather happy within myself, not caring about paperwork or chores that needed doing back home or the fact that my family were still grieving over Alex. It was just me, Han and the ocean. I couldn't have asked for anything more and when I next got into the car I felt so relaxed that I wasn't even fazed by the fact that I now faced a two and a half hour drive to get back to Tokyo. "You seem a lot more relaxed than before, all things considered." Han noted to me after a while, looking across to me as I rested back calmly in my seat.

"I've missed being able to just drive for the sake of driving, you know? Sometimes it's nice to just take life one quarter mile at a time and not have to race to a finish line." I mused thoughtfully as the sky started to change colours from day to dusk, towns and buildings passing us by as the city came ever closer.

"You want me to slow down a little more?" He offered however I found myself smiling, gazing out the window before turning my head to meet his gaze.

"I don't mind if you pick up the speed a bit." A brief flash of surprise registered in his expression before it was quickly replaced by a smirk, Han instantly reaching for the gearstick and shifting everything up a notch.

"In that case, buckle up." Pushing towards the speed limit I felt that familiar thrill take over me as Han picked up the pace. As the world glided past I watched as we overtook car after car, the furious roar of the engine constantly working before settling into a comfortable purr. Han was constantly glancing across to me, making sure that I was okay with the speed but I found myself trusting him more and more without even thinking about it. I was comfortable with him, knew that I didn't have to worry so long as he was behind the wheel. Just so long as we could avoid any idiots on the road we would be fine. After taking the speed up a notch we knocked off quite a bit of time off our journey and when we pulled up into Han's shop, I felt better than I had felt in a long time. A little healed and as I stepped out the car, I was smiling.


	7. Chapter 7

The race scene was the same as ever, though now that I was officially working on repairs I had plenty of people hollering me over to take a look at their cars, either wanting to show off, wanting to sell or asking for a free fix up. For most minor things I didn't mind tweaking a little, though if there was a real problem I told them to either bring their ride into the shop and pay for a tune up or look elsewhere. This usually meant that my hair was tied back and I had oil or grease near constantly covering my hands, wearing old shirts and my overalls with several of my handheld tools in the front pouch and all the pretty porcelain doll like girls would always shoot me odd looks and quite often move as far away from me as possible in order to avoid getting dirty, but I didn't mind that so much.

In fact, it was one of those nights that I met Sean Boswell for the first time. He was an American, fresh of the plane and already Twinkie had brought him to the racing scene, however when I looked up to see the guy squaring off with Takashi of all people, I instantly sensed something was up so I finished up the car I was looking at, dropped the hood then strode forwards whilst cleaning off my hands the best I could. They were toe to toe and staring one another dead in the eye whilst Neela tried to get between them and when I arrived Han naturally reached out his hand and pulled me to his side, wrapping his arms around me so I leaned back against him. "What's going on?"

"New kid on the block caught Takashi's attention. Made the mistake of talking to Neela without permission." He whispered to me quietly so I rolled my eyes as I settled back against Han, folding my arms over his I watched carefully, knowing full well that he was only holding me like this so that he was prepared to restrain me from getting involved because Takashi always pushed my buttons in the wrong way. Twinkie was desperately trying to pull the new kid away however this kid wasn't having any of it.

"Now, see, that's funny, 'cause I thought this was, like, a free country where a girl could talk to whoever she wants." He said as he turned around to face Takashi again, Twink throwing his hands up in the air in frustration as I arched an eyebrow. This newcomer has nerves of steel to face down Takashi like that. If he's not careful it's going to land him in a lot of trouble.

"You know who I am, boy?"

"Yeah. You're like the Justin Timberlake of Japan, right?" Without being able to help myself, I snorted and the sound made Takashi shoot me a glare when he realised I had joined the scene, Neela expertly trying to keep him calm with her soft toned Japanese before facing the American.

"Leave."

"Damn, man." Twinkie grabbed a hold of his friend, pushing him back as he tried to explain exactly who Takashi was. "You know yakuza? The Mafia?" A shred of recognition seemed to come to the boy's face, making Twinkie shoot him a warning look before turning back to Takashi. "Look, sorry, DK-san. Monkey didn't have his banana today." Feeling Han lower his hands to gently take my waist he moved me forwards so I stood up, allowing him to slip free and move away as a means to try and pull Takashi away from the situation.

"Hey Dee, let's go. It's time to race." They started to move off, Takashi giving one last look towards the new American kid before turning around and as he did so I stepped closer to Twinkie, settling my hand on his shoulder to reassure him but before I could shut the new kid up, he called out after Takashi.

"Hey, good luck Timberlake." All at once Takashi turned back around and came straight for the kid and I instinctively pushed Twinkie back behind me and held out my hand to push against Takashi, making a warning sound as he gave a rather frightening smirk which barely covered the fact that he was mad as hell.

"You're the one that's lucky, 'cause I'm about to race." This kid, whoever he is, just didn't know when to quit and back down, because the next thing he said was the dumbest thing I ever heard.

"Then let's race." Shooting the boy a look I tried to push the two guys apart.

"That's enough, both of you." I stated firmly, managing to push the American kid back more so than Takashi who stubbornly refused to budge even as I kept my hands spread between them. "You two facing off with each over is stupid and petty, just get over it already and act like you got more than one brain cell between you." In answer Takashi suddenly gripped me by my overalls and pulled me aside like I was nothing, shooting me a dark look and pushing me back towards Twinkie who quickly grabbed me to keep me on my feet.

"Stay out of this, _koshinuke_." I bristled at the word, one that Takashi had taken to calling me since I constantly refused to race him every time he demanded a match. Coward. It meant coward. Sure it pissed me off, but not as much as the way he manhandled me and Twinkie rather wisely gripped onto my wrist to stop me from reaching for one of my heavy tools to take out his knee. "What will you race with? Huh? Your skateboard? Easy to sound cocky when you got no ride." In a heartbeat Han took out the keys to his Silvia and tossed them into the air to be expertly caught by the newbie.

"Take mine." Instantly I was shooting a deadly glare towards Han but for once, he didn't take notice and didn't listen to me. Takashi smirked, nodding his head in acceptance though he too gave Han a look when he turned around. "What? I wanna see what the kid's got." As everyone started moving away, I immediately stormed over to Han, grabbed him by his jacket lapel and turned him around to face me.

"Are you crazy? You can't just give your car to some kid who just flew in from the states. The boy's probably never drifted before in his life and you just _give_ him the keys to your Silvia? What the heck is wrong with you Han?" I demanded to know but he just gave me that crooked smirk of his, still chewing on some peanuts or cashews or something.

"Like I said, I want to see what he's got." Sometimes I just wanted to smack Han in the head with something heavy. He didn't always think things through, didn't always consider the fact that some things were just better left unsaid or undone.

"Han, this is…this is dangerous. He could get killed if he's too careless." I insisted quietly, lowering my voice so that it was just the two of us arguing in private. "You can't let him do this. Talk Takashi out of it, he'll probably listen to you, just tell him that the boy's new in town and doesn't know what he's talking about. Say anything you want but _please_ , do not let that boy race him." I begged however Han relaxed his smiled at me, lifting his hands to place them on my shoulders to reassure me.

"You worry too much Cora. The kid will be fine it's a simple track. If he trashes the car then I'll just make him work to pay it off." My dark eyes grew darker in anger and frustration. He just wasn't getting it. At this moment I didn't care about the car, what worried me was the fact that this new kid was new to this type of racing and I knew better than anyone how dangerous it could be if you weren't careful or experienced enough. I'd seen plenty of wrecks in my time and many deaths caused by accidents and I did not want this boy to die less than a day of getting into Japan. "Come on, just come sit down and relax for a little while. You're all worked up." As Han's fingers began to massage into my skin I instantly flung up my walls, hands jumping up to shrug him off as I turned my face away.

"Forget it." With my heart feeling like it was leaping into my mouth and my spine tingling with energy I walked away from Han as quickly as I could, sucking in a deep breath to calm my emotions. The idiot probably didn't have a clue, but when someone massages me like that, I get really heated up and turned on and that right now would not be a good thing. It's bad enough that he's rather open and close with me that I can barely keep my feelings in check. God damn it, I'm getting way over my head with this.

I didn't stay to watch the race, I couldn't bring myself to so I just went back to the shop to complete the paperwork for this month, working in the office for several more hours until I heard the familiar rumble of the cars returning back from the races and I knew instantly from the guttering sounds of the Nissan that it had been totally trashed. Of course the videos were already up all over the internet so it was kind of hard to miss with Twinkie also messaging me constantly, telling me that the kid was alright but he'd totally failed to win the race. With an irritated curse under my breath I tossed down the folder I had been working through and stalked out into the open, planting my feet and folding my arms as the doors rose upwards and the cars all slid inside, the Nissan coming last and barely staying in one piece. My god. It's worse to see it in person than on video.

Rieko, Earl and Twink all got out their cars and the moment they saw my face, they knew I was furious. "Damn, she's pissed." Twinkie muttered as Han got out the Nissan and closed the door behind him, looking as if he didn't have a care in the world until he saw my expression and paused, looking at me intently until finally I shook my head and strode back into the office.

"Cora. Cora." Han tried to talk to me but I knew that I was too mad to have a constructive argument with him so I started to gather up my things and picked up the reports that I still needed to look over, intending to take them home to work on however the moment I opened the door Han stood in my way, trying to gently reach out to me. "Hey, talk to me. Don't stay mad like this."

"What you think I don't have good reason to be mad? God damn it Han, just take one good look at that car!" I hissed at him, trying to keep my voice to a minimum as everyone else fled upstairs. "That could have been the boy's head if he weren't so lucky but you don't even seem to care. You _know_ how I feel about these kind of things and tonight could have been one hell of an accident. He's lucky he didn't try to take a corner and flip with the way he was driving at them. You think this is funny?" Exhaling and closing his eyes Han let me anger wash over him, remaining annoyingly calm and accepting the fact that I was not going to easily forgive him.

"I just got this vibe off the kid, I knew he'd be fine and I wanted to see what he was made of. It takes more than cocky attitude to face up to DK like that, you should know better than anyone." He tried to reason with me but nothing he could say would change my opinion on this matter. I say that it had been a bad idea and a terrible call on his part and that's what I'm sticking with.

"And you think that it's okay to hand over the keys to a very fast, very agile car to a cowboy who probably has never been near a car like that before in his life and just let him learn as he goes? Damn it Han, that car is important to you and look what he's done to it." My hand jerked out angrily towards the complete and total mess that remained after tonight. "But hey whatever, just so long as you found out what he's made of then I'm sure everything is just fine. I'm going home for tonight so you can lock up for a change. Oh, and _you_ can finish writing up these reports instead. Make sure to finish the damage report on the Nissan as well so I can get to work fixing the mess that boy has made." Thrusting the papers and files into Han's arms I left him behind, ignoring him as he called out my name and ignored my phone when he started calling that instead.

Even though I might have been overreacting, I just felt so angry. In my head all I could think about was my brother's accident, thinking what it must have looked like to be driving along before suddenly going underneath a truck. Even though that and this were two very different situations, I couldn't help but associate the two. If that poor kid had been hurt, I don't think I could ever accept racing ever again. It was so stupid, letting a rookie race like that, especially if they've never drifted before. It doesn't matter how much natural talent you're born with, if you hit the ground running you're going to crash and burn.

I didn't talk to him for the rest of the night or the next day for that matter and neither did we cross each other's paths which I was rather grateful for as it gave me more time to calm down and cool my head. Working with the machines helped a lot too and by the evening when the party got started in the club and some familiar faces started to roll up and hang upstairs in the lounge, I was completely over my initial anger and when Han finally showed up with two girls and the kid himself in tow, I was a little surprised.

For a few moments I didn't face Han, a little busy trying to clean up after everyone else however when his arms came from behind me to take the trash bag and the beer can out my hands, putting them aside before his arms then came to wrap themselves around me and his face tucked itself over my shoulder with his chest pressed rather intimately against my back. "You still mad at me?"

"Maybe. Depends if you got those reports done like I told you." I answered him, keeping my tone level though with his face tucked right against mine I could feel him smiling.

"I even put them away in the right folders." He assured me so I smirked a little, straightening my back and turning around to face him, giving him a look before taking back the trash bag and the empty beer can.

"Then I guess I'm not angry anymore." I told him, giving his cheek a light peck with my lips before continuing to throw away the abandoned cans. "I see you brought the kid along with you. You making him pay off the car?"

"That's the idea. He'll be doing pickups and deliveries for the time being, though he's already talked himself into another race against Morimoto. Kid's got serious balls." Han noted to me and I glanced his way, considering his words for a moment before walking over to the edge of the lounge, leaning against the railings to observe the cowboy as he marvelled at all of Han's cars and the ones we were still fixing up. I must have had a similar expression on my own face when I walked in for the first time so I couldn't exactly blame him.

"Hey kid." I called down and instantly he turned around to face me, eyes flickering with recognition. "You got a name?"

"Sean." He responded before clearing his throat a little. "The name's Sean Boswell, ma'am." His politeness made my lips tilt upwards slightly. For a kid who was talking smack to Takashi just the other night he wasn't completely lacking in manners. I liked him.

"You can call me Cora." I introduced myself before lifting my chin at him a little. "Han said you'll be doing jobs for him." Sean nodded his head so I hummed in thought a little, looking back over my shoulder at Han who met my gaze and smirked a little, two girls practically plastering themselves to his sides and although it made me twitch I brushed it off, more than used to it and to ignore the fact they had their polished nails all over him, I looked back down at the rookie. "Well so long as you're here, you can find a spot and finish any homework you might have. I don't care what Han says. You do your homework first and your chores after. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. Now get on up here and find yourself a soda. You can relax for tonight." And with my word settled, I pointed to Han in warning so he lifted his hands in acceptance, still smiling at me as I strode off to throw out the trash I had collected in just one night from all these people hanging out at Han's place. Sean did as I suggested and went on upstairs to join the fun whilst I closed myself off from the party, shutting myself up in the office where once the door was closed, it muffled most of the sound and I was allowed to relax with a semblance of peaceful quiet, though it didn't last long.

When a knock sounded on my door I heard it click open so I swung my chair around, seeing Sean standing there a little awkwardly, unsure if he was welcome. "Sorry I just, I just wanted to ask a few questions." He told me so I invited him inside and he shut the door. Instantly I saw him relax, taking the only other available seat in the office as I went to the mini-fridge and got him something to drink. "Twink says you basically run the shop here."

"It's Han's business but yes, I handle things in the office and help out with repairs. Why? You want some work?"

"If you got it going then sure, I'll take it. I'm not supposed to be going anywhere near cars but I can't help myself, you know? Always worked with machines and racing has been something I always did." He said to me and I listened to him carefully, studying his appearance and trying to piece together the enigma that he was.

"Let me guess." I began, sitting back down in my chair and leaning back. "You're here as an alternative to juvie or actual jail time because you got in trouble with the law once too often and your only other option was to come here. I'm guessing…military?" I questioned and Sean nodded his head, taking a swig of his soda.

"My dad. Been a while since we talked now I have to live with him. Says this is my last chance to set things straight."

"Then do you really think that asking for work here is a good idea considering your father has already very clearly set out the rules for you, Sean?" I reasoned and the kid paused for a second, frowning at me so I sat up a little straighter to explain to him. "You see Sean, here in Japan we take the words of our parents' very seriously, family honour is still a very big thing and if your dad has told you not to do something then my advice to you is not to do it." His face fell a little at that and I winced inwardly, understanding exactly how he felt about cars and racing as I was exactly the same. Or at least I used to be. "However, I guess since nothing I say will actually stop you, then the least I can do is provide you with a safe environment in which I can keep an eye on you. If you're serious about wanting to volunteer some time here, then you're going to have to talk this over with your dad."

"He won't understand."

"All the same, I won't have you lying to him. Tell him that you want to do something practical with your spare time and if you're going to start out somewhere, you might as well get good experience and maybe even get paid a little from time to time for your labour. It's best to at least be honest with your father as it'll make things a lot easier along the way. Besides, I'm guessing he probably told you to be home straight after school, am I right?" When I saw the guilty look that crossed Sean's face, I couldn't help but smile at him. Now this was a kid who reminded me completely of Alex. The same enthusiasm, same temperament, they were like two peas in a pod. No wonder I had reacted so badly to him being put in danger like that the other night. I must have subconsciously been reminded of my brother. "Thought so. Here. Give this card to your dad and tell him to call me. We can arrange a programme or something for you, almost like a parole system, if you like. If I can talk your dad round then I'll do my best and I'm pretty good at bartering, so I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you ma'am. I really appreciate you doing this." Sean told me sincerely, finally smiling as he eagerly took one of Han's business cards after I had written my number on the back for him to call me directly in case of an emergency. "Twink said that if I wanted help you were the person to see. Said you were the only other person who can go toe to toe with that Takashi guy and not get burned." That made me chuckle a little, thinking about all the times Takashi had come looking for trouble and usually found me but Han was usually there to keep things cool if he said something that pissed me off.

"I guess you could say that. He just wants me to race him but I'm not into that anymore, so he gets annoyed that I don't give him what he wants." I explained to him as I started to clear my desk of all the papers and put things away into their drawers, locking things up and tidying everything away so that it remained neat and orderly.

"You race?"

"No, not anymore. I haven't raced in nearly three years." Sean looked like he wanted to ask more but thought better of it, somehow reading the sad smile on my face as I turned around to face him. "Here. This is a bus schedule to help you get around town and a map of the train lines. If you tell me your address, I'll show you the best routes to get to and from here. Don't worry, soon it'll come naturally to you, don't be intimidated by how it all looks." I reassured him as I opened up the map showing the train routes and quickly highlighted the best routes for him to get back home from the closest station and circled the bus numbers he would need in order to get to certain places.

With his maps now tucked safely into his school bag I suggested that he went home soon to try and minimise his father's anger at him being out so late and he heartily agreed. "Thank you ma'am. It was a pleasure to meet you." Arching an eyebrow at Sean as he held out his hand, I finally gave him a smile and reached out to take his hand to shake it. I think I now understood why Han did what he did. At the cost of his car, he found the measure of this kid just like that. He was willing to pay of his debts and had a trustworthy character as well as good manners. Kids like that were hard to come by, let alone adults. Maybe there was method to the madness after all.

"You're alright cowboy. You come back here any time. I know it's going to be hard adjusting, so you need help with any school work then you just come to me. Since you're part of Han's crew now it makes you family and we take care of our own. Just…learn how to drift soon, okay?" Giving a sweet natured grin Sean nodded his head, thanking me a final time before departing for home. I watched him leave, arms folded in consideration before turning around and catching Han's eye as he'd been watching our exchange. Unable to help it, I shook my head and smiled at him, muttering under my breath before heading back into the office.


	8. Chapter 8

Sean became a rather common figure around the shop. Every time he stopped by he took the time to duck his head into the office and say hello. I grew rather fond of him, he and Twink were secret favourites of mine and before I knew it, I was helping them both with their homework whenever they needed my tutelage and in Sean's case, he needed a lot of it. Translating Japanese was rather impossible for him at the moment so as well as taking the time to teach him phrases and words, I helped him with his subjects so he would at least get passing grades.

Whilst I taught him math and such, Han taught him how to drift. Sometimes I would come out and watch and to give the kid credit, he wasn't all that bad after some practice. Guess he really did have some talent after all, though that didn't make up for the fact he'd still trashed Han's car. "Hey cowboy." Calling out to him I rolled a tyre his way, making him catch it as I guested for him to follow. "Come on, you can help me for today, Han's run you about enough for now." Instantly his eyes brightened and behind him Han smirked.

"You kidnapping my errand boy Cora?"

"You wanna argue with me on it?" I offered however Han instantly lifted his hands in surrender, making me grin. "Thought so." With Sean helping me in the shop, we got a fair amount of work done and I called a few of our clients to inform them that their cars were ready for pickup and arranged times for them to come and collect whilst Sean continued working, completely focused on whatever task I gave him even if it was as simple as washing one of the cars. "How you doing kiddo?"

"Doing just fine ma'am, you really do all the modifications on this thing?" He asked so I explained to him about replacing the valves and crankshaft as well as the rewiring and he listened with complete attention. "Wow. Here I thought I knew a thing or two about cars. Think you can teach me all this stuff?"

"Well if I can teach Twinkie then I'm sure you'll learn a thing or two from me." I winked at him before calling Twink over so that he could tell me the problems his car was giving him before then giving him directions on what to look for and come back to me if my suggestions didn't fix anything. looking down at my hands I realised just how dirty they'd become so I wiped them down on my overalls, however when I heard a light chirping of laughter from the girls that had made themselves comfortable upstairs in the lounge I paused, becoming distracted by Han as I watched him laugh and smile with them, playing some game or other.

They all looked so beautiful, like models fresh out of a magazine with polished skin that glowed, perfect nails that weren't chipped and had grease caught underneath. Looking at them I suddenly realised that compared to them, it was no wonder I hadn't been able to get a date or a boyfriend for such a long time. I mean even just looking at my reflection I saw several grease stains and smudges so I self-consciously rubbed my sleeve into my skin to try and wipe them away. "You and Han." Sean began slowly as he continued working on an older model car that had been brought in after being involved in a hit and run. "Is there something going on between you two?"

"No, why'd you think that?" I frowned at him before chuckling. "Twinkie been telling stories again?"

"Might have mentioned something, though it doesn't take much to see that you two are close." He reasoned and I remarked privately that Sean didn't seem to miss a thing. "How long you been into him?"

"A while. Though considering I technically work for him, it's not exactly…well. You understand right? You're a smart kid and a fast learner." Giving him a warm smile I gently knuckled his shoulder, glancing up to the clock on the wall to check the time. "You only got thirty minutes left until you need to catch your train. I know your dad said it's okay for you to be here but the conditions were pretty clear. You can't keep on cutting your curfew so close, you know."

"Yeah I know, I know. You sound just like my mom when you nag like that."

"Well sorry for worrying but you know, I want you to actually do well in school and get yourself on the straight and narrow at least for a little while so you can prove to your dad that you're doing okay and stop your mom from worrying so much. I heard her on the phone last week and she sounded a little hysterical." I noted to him and he exhaled wearily.

"She moved around a lot because of me. Now that I'm here she's doing a lot better but she found out about a fight in school. That's all." Instantly I frowned, growing serious so I reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder.

"You getting bullied Sean?" That made him laugh, giving me his broad grin as he continued on his work but continued to talk at the same time as I listened.

"Nah, nothing like that. Just a little misunderstanding with Twink and Morimoto. The guy broke his player and wanted a new one. It's all cleared up though, nothing to worry about. I didn't even punch the guy but my mom still freaked out when my dad told her about what happened. The school got wind of what happened and had to tell him I had been involved." All things considered, it was a lot tamer than it could have been so Sean was lucky. It can't be easy for him being the new kid in town and having to make so many huge adjustments to eastern culture.

"Well, if something like that happens again then you can tell Morimoto that I am more than happy to short wire his car and give him a hell of a time trying to unravel it all. Trust me, he knows not to push me to such extremes. There was this one time he tried to pick on Earl so I put a clamp on his car. He had to have it towed away to get the thing off." Sean spluttered with laughter, probably imagining Morimoto's face at finding that he couldn't drive anywhere, let alone race with his wheel clamped.

"Now I would have paid good money to see that."

"Well, rile him up enough then you'll probably see it again. I don't advise it though, you're best staying well clear of him, Takashi and any of their associates. Unfortunately that includes Neela." I gave him a knowing look as we finished off the last of the work then lowered the hood. "I know she's a pretty girl Sean, but quite honestly you're getting way over your head. Takashi hoards her like a dragon does his treasure."

"It ain't right. She's not someone's property and she don't belong to nobody." He disagreed so I inclined my head, telling him that I agreed but my advice remained the same, but knowing him I knew that it was highly unlikely that he would listen to me. Sean brooded over my words for a while so I ruffled his hair before telling him to go get cleaned up so he could make the bus in time. Rinsing off my own fingers I tried to scrub out my nails but to no avail so in the end I gave up and just left them alone, waving Sean off before berating Twinkie for staying out so late.

"It might be a weekend but that doesn't mean you should be staying awake into the small hours. You're still a growing kid and you need sleep." I reminded him as he complained about me fussing.

"Damn woman you ain't my momma, you can't tell me what to do."

"Oh yeah?" I questioned, a slow grin coming to my face before my hand darted out and snatched his hat. "You sure I can't give you orders Twinkle?"

"Hey come on now, that ain't right and the name's Twinkie, not Twinkle, Twinkie." I kept possession of the hat until Twinkie finally relented that I was the boss and after giving him back the hat I made him head over to his bunk to bed down for the night as the boy was barely staying awake. Even though the party was still going on upstairs it was quiet enough for him not to be disturbed and after I switched out the lights, I heard Twink snoring away without a care in the world. These kids, I really do run around after them like some kind of mother, I should really remember that I shouldn't tell them what to do so often considering I'm not even a sister or anything like that.

"Hey." Han woke me from my thoughts so I looked up, seeing him waiting for me. "The rest of us are heading out. You want to tag along?"

"Han, you've known me for almost a year now. When do I ever go out with you and all your…" I glanced up at the girls, wondering what exactly I should call them. " _Friends_ …willingly? You go have fun, just be careful out there and don't do anything reckless." His smile deepened at that and as I passed him he stuck out his arm to catch me around my front, pulling me into him as he nuzzled my hair.

"You're working too hard again Cora, when are you going to learn to relax?" To be honest, I felt relaxed enough right here and now. His arms had naturally risen to drape themselves around me, drawing me even closer against him and I could feel the heat of his skin and the smell of alcohol on his breath though which was the only drawback in this entire situation. "Spend some time in the adult world, you might enjoy yourself." He suggested, one of his hands beginning to slide a little lower so I quickly grabbed his wrist on a reflex impulse, stiffening slightly as I turned around in his grasp.

"No." I told him firmly, giving him a look before exhaling softly, examining his face and searched for something else to say but couldn't think of anything. He seemed to become a little transfixed on me as well, neither of us turning away and I couldn't help but shake the feeling that there was something on Han's mind that he wanted to talk about, but before I could ask or he could say, the girls and guys from upstairs called out his name, some of them having come to search for him so with a small jolt I quickly stepped back from him, ducking my head to hide my reddened cheeks. "You go have fun, I'll still be here when you get back so don't worry about the shop."

"Cora…" Giving him a smile I walked away from him, picking up any menial task I could find to busy myself with as Han was dragged away for a good time. When things quietened down a little I went through my usual routine of cleaning up everything so that the place would be spotless come morning. It was a Sunday tomorrow so there would be no one working except maybe me, Sean and perhaps Han if he felt like it. Hopefully it will be a little quieter tomorrow and maybe I'll even manage to get Twinkie to actually do his homework like I been telling him. Seriously, I need to stop mothering those boys, it's getting to be a bad habit.


	9. Chapter 9

I awoke sometime late in the morning, though still before noon. Things were fairly quiet though I could hear voices upstairs so I assumed Reiko and Earl were up there with Twinkie and sure enough I was right. Rubbing the sleep away I stretched and walked about a little, opening up the shutters to let some fresh air in as well as the warm sunlight. "Have you guys had breakfast yet?" I called up to them and they all answered they'd already been out to get food so I went to the communal area and made myself some cereal.

Sean showed up not long after that, greeting me with a good morning and almost instantly went upstairs to start on his homework, having his own routine now drummed into him so that he'd do his school work first before he picked up anything else. Since Han wasn't about I took a look at his schedule to check if there was something he was supposed to be doing today in case I needed to wake him up from a hangover but it seemed like today was free, so he could sleep off the alcohol. Everything was perfectly normal and I settled into the office to order in our next shipment of supplies, thinking of maybe going out with everyone for pizza later when I heard several throaty engines pull into the front yard.

At first I thought nothing of it, but then I realised that I didn't recognise the engine sounds and Han didn't own any trucks so it couldn't be him, plus there was more than one of them. I listened as they came to a stop outside so I frowned curiously, putting down the papers I had been scanning and opening up the door to the office to step outside. Several figures entered the shop, all of them wearing grim and heavy expressions and something about the way they carried themselves and the vibes they gave off put me on edge. I didn't recognise any of them so I took a deep breath before speaking out in Japanese, asking them if I could help them.

One of them turned around to look at me, very distinctive tattoos inked onto his skin and large golden signet rings adorning his fingers. I don't know what it was that tipped me off, but in that moment I knew we were in trouble. The atmosphere, the black leather, the tattoos, the baseball bats and assorted weapons they now revealed, they probably all helped. "We're looking for Han."

"Han's not here." I informed them honestly, standing firmly in front of them as I slowly moved to stand in front of the ladder leading up to the lounge so that they wouldn't get to the kids before going through me. "I don't know where he is, but if you want to talk to him then I can tell him you stopped by. I'll have him contact you."

"No. See, Han promised us a shipment which he has failed to deliver on. I think he's hiding the goods and not keeping his promises." The bulkiest guy who seemed to be the one in charge now faced me properly and the dangerous tones caught the attention of everyone upstairs, coming forwards to the railing however I made a motion with my hand behind my back to tell them to stay out of this though I was worried about Sean not understanding and jumping straight in. "So you're going to either get me what I was promised or return my money, or we'll have to take what we're owed from what we can find here."

"You touch anything in this shop and you'll be facing the jury in court. Don't test me, I am not in the mood to be playing around." I spoke in a fierce yet controlled voice, trying to maintain the situation and was already trying to think of ways to get out of this with minimal damage. "So turn around, walk out of here and don't come back or we'll be calling the police." Hoping that Reiko would take the hint upstairs, I never once took my eyes off the thug who was now facing me down and was at least three feet taller than I was but I refused to back down, not allowing myself to be intimidated.

"I don't think you heard me. Where. Is. My. Money?" He demanded in a nasally hiss which made my ears wince at the unattractive sound.

"There is no money on these premises. We don't keep cash here." I told him very simply however that seemed to hack him off even more as he swore colourfully and started to insult me, suddenly exploding in anger as his hand shot out and grabbed my throat.

"Hey!" Sean shouted from above and lunged forwards to vault over the railings however Twinkie and Earl rather smartly pulled him back and restrained him, keeping him from interfering as my hand had shot out in order to stop him from doing something stupid, eyes widening slightly as I felt my windpipe being crushed together.

"You tell Han to make good on his promises and stop coming up with excuses, otherwise next time we show up here we'll burn the place to the ground with you and your little pets inside." He warned me and I knew full well he meant it. A spark of anger flared up inside me and my eyes narrowed even as I continued to lose oxygen and go a deathly shade of purple. Glowering fearlessly I stared down this thug as my fists clenched at my sides, ready to strike at his throat or claw at his eyes however just as I was beginning to lose focus and was left with no other choice but to fight back, he suddenly let me go then backhanded me with so much force that I bit into my lip and went spinning to the ground with the metallic taste of blood in my mouth. "Make sure you tell Han." My assailant repeated, pointing up at Twinkie and the others before he ordered everyone to move out.

Struggling for breath I pushed myself up on my hands, watching as they all left whilst the kids all rushed downstairs and immediately flocked to me. Sean reached me first, grasping at my arms to support my weight as the bruising and swelling of my throat continued to darken. "Damn girl, that is nasty." Twink breathed with a harsh edge of panic in his voice.

"Let me after 'em, they can't get away with this."

"Leave it." I wheezed, taking small, sharp breaths in order to get the air into my lungs. "Not worth it."

"Do you need a hospital Cora?" Reiko asked but I shook my head. It wasn't bad, it'll settle down in a little while so there was no need for such a fuss. After a few moments to recover from the shock I got back onto my feet, Sean holding one arm whilst Reiko gripped together and everyone insisted that I sat down for a while, Twinkie running to get ice and a cold drink to help settle the nerves whilst Earl argued that people were supposed to drink tea after shock, so whilst they debated and argued over that, Sean inspected the bruising.

"Looks pretty bad. You sure you don't want no hospital?" He asked so I gave him a smile.

"I'm fine, see? I can breathe now."

"Yeah but your voice still sounds funny." Twinkie pointed out so Reiko smacked him on the back of his head for his tactlessness. Reiko was already trying to call Han and get through to him but she was having difficulty, sending him text after text until I told her to calm down and not worry about it. There was nothing we could do about it until Han could get here and explain the situation. Sean was still wanting to go out and find the guys who had barged in and tried to strangle me so I forced him to try and focus on his homework again and if that didn't work then to distract himself with something. The last thing we needed was for Sean to go getting into trouble with people like them, though I was now questioning Han's taste in business partners.

We knew Han had finally found out what had happened when he came screeching into the shop at speed, slamming on the brakes and killing the engine, making us all look up from what we were doing. I was in the back when he came though I could see him clearly. When he got out of his car I could tell right off that he was angry, angrier than I had ever seen him before. His entire dynamic had changed and the calm, easy going personality was completely erased by a wrathful presence which took me by surprise. As I moved forwards his eyes caught onto me and instantly he was striding forwards like a storm, not slowing down as his hands reached up and touched my neck and pushed back my hair, turning my head to inspect the bruising.

"Han it's fine, it looks worse than it is." I tried to tell him, grateful that my voice was near enough normal now however as I watched Han's face, I saw every single detail as his expression shifted. His jaw tightened and his eyes burned more fiercely, lips thinning into a hard line as he glared at the black hands that were bruised onto my throat as well as the slight swell of my cheek and ring of bruises there. He never said a word, too enraged to speak as he turned around and stormed over to the worktable to grab a heavy crowbar, making my eyes widen in fear. "Han? Han don't do this, don't even think about it. Han!" He was past the point of listening, tossing the tool into the passenger seat even as I tried to grip onto his sleeve. "Han!"

Everyone else watched with baited breath as Han got into his car and whirled it around, turning a full circle on the spot as I rushed forwards without even thinking, throwing myself in front of the car so that as he tried to drive forwards I slammed my hands onto the hood and forced him to stop, blocking the way so that he couldn't leave. "Get out the car Han. Get out, _now_." I ordered him with all the power and might I could muster, eyeballing him as he continued to stare off into the distance with so much anger and rage that it was a little scary to see. After a few moments I heard the door click open and slowly, Han got back out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him so with a sigh of relief I went around to him.

Without a word I slowly stood in front of him, glancing up once more into his terrifyingly livid expression before I placed my arms around him and leaned into his chest. It took him a while but eventually he returned the embrace, holding onto me before suddenly gathering me up with trembling breath, one hand curling into my hair as he tucked me into him as closely as he could. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Cora, I shouldn't have let this happen. I'm sorry."

"I'm okay Han, you don't have to worry. I think they just wanted to scare you a little." I murmured, trying to keep him calm as I could feel him trembling as he clung onto me. "Now, you going to tell me what this is all about?"

"I made a few side deals off the parts I'm supposed to be selling to Takashi to make some extra money but things haven't exactly gone to plan. The shipment fell through and they must have heard about it somehow and thought I was holding out on them. I'm going to fix this Cora and I swear, no one will ever come here and hurt you again. I'll make sure they pay for this." Knowing that he meant it I leaned back a little so that I could grip his face with both hands and look at him intensely in warning.

"Don't even think about it. There's no point making enemies over something like this, it's just not worth it. Just give them what they want, clear the deal and then close it. You're treading hot water as it is trying to cross Takashi like that so you shouldn't make things more difficult for yourself Han." I said to him seriously, praying inwardly that he would listen to me and not let this anger take control.

"But Cora." His voice was now a soft whisper, his body language completely changed to what it was just minutes prior and as his fingers delicately touched against my skin, barely grazing the surface for fear of causing more discomfort, I couldn't help but compare just how differently he handled me in contrast to that other guy who had choked me. "He hurt you. I can't let him get away with that, he not only disrespected my shop but he hurt one of the most important people I have. There's no way I can let that slide." Exhaling a breath I tried to think of an argument to make him change his mind, glancing down to where his fingers were stroking the less bruised part of my throat as his eyes bore into mine.

"Well, at least be tactful about it. Don't take an eye for an eye, you have to think it through and plan ahead otherwise they'll just come back looking for revenge and then it'll only get worse. Just be careful Han. Promise me." Nodding his head I relaxed, satisfied that he meant it so I went to pull away however he made a noise of protest and pulled me back towards him, gently placing his arms back around me so that I was trapped in his embrace once again.

"If anyone tries to hurt you again, I'll send them to hell." He vowed to me so quietly that I partly convinced myself that I had misheard him or had imagined it, but before I could ask him he had let me go and the others had interrupted, everyone gathering in a group where Han explained as much as he could what had gone down and instructed everyone on what they should do. Han tried to make me go to hospital to get checked out but I refused, waving him off as I carried on as normal until he finally managed to force me to sit down, practically having to order me to take the rest of the day off and when he started to get really assertive, I found myself obeying him without argument.

Although everyone was rattled by the unexpected events of the day, we carried on like we normally would though Sean seemed to make it a point to keep close and insisted on going with me when I said I was heading out into town, not wanting to leave me alone and Han agreed that it was a good idea. I appreciated their concern but they didn't have to worry so much about me. It took a while for Sean to relax after that, not letting anyone suspicious or threatening looking come anywhere near me and I teased him about it for a while, telling him he was worse than an overprotective parent which made him a hypocrite since he called me the same thing often enough.

Worse than Sean was Han. The man was now constantly checking in on me and it wasn't until later that he admitted that he had been worried that those guys would wait until I was alone before trying something else just to rattle him further, but if they had thought to do something, they never tried as I was always around people and in a few days he had everything straightened out, though Han remained tense for at least a week after that. All the while he would keep me close to him, usually with an arm slung across my back and at first I didn't mind it, in fact I rather enjoyed it however after a while it became a little too much and I had to tell him several times to calm down.

Thankfully we never heard from those particular people again and Han refused to deal with them after that, saying that their little stunt cost them a great deal more than a few stolen parts. I worried that there might have been some backlash to his decision to stop dealing with them but nothing ever came of it, so I allowed myself to relax and focused instead on finishing work, hiding the bruises from customers until they slowly began to recede into faint markings which were hardly noticeable. Han noticed though and sometimes, I'd catch him glaring darkly at my throat, a fist clenched tightly in anger until I'd go over, take his hand and calm him down. In some ways I guess it brought us even closer still. After all, I was touched that I was the reason he got so angry as it meant he cared and for the moment, it was enough to satisfy me.


	10. Chapter 10

With all the practice Sean had put into learning how to drift, I wasn't surprised that he won his race against Morimoto. It helped that since his dad had kicked him out he spent even more time at the shop and therefore more time practicing. The kid really was a natural and as he came to a halt, taking first place, I smirked as I stood next to Han, everyone else cheering and rushing to his car to congratulate him whilst Takashi looked like he had just eaten something bitter and sour. He walked away with a wrathful expression, dropping the keys to his Corolla into Han's hand who was failing miserably at keeping the smirk off his face. "Pleasure doing business with you." Rolling my eyes I elbowed him, making him laugh. "What?"

"You could at least try to act humble about this. I can see you smirking." I told him whilst smirking just the same as him. I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as Sean got out his car whilst Morimoto continued to have a fit of defiance and rage in his own car at having lost to the rookie. Han and I laughed quietly to ourselves, his arm stretching out to drape itself naturally around me and I leaned against him comfortably, my own arm wrapped around his back as Sean continued to receive the praise of his new fans. Even Neela was smiling to herself. Guess that cowboy was winning her over slowly.

Everyone moved back downstairs ready for the next pair of racers and I stuck with Han who still had his arm around me, our fingers laced casually together, thinking nothing of it as everyone else partied and danced around us however Han was able to effortlessly find the gaps and walk us both through, heading over to where Sean was grinning with Twinkie still raving about the fact he had actually won when I heard a sound I had not heard in a long time.

A sudden rev of an engine made me whirl around, letting go of Han's hand as I immediately sought it out, disbelieving my ears and second guessing myself almost immediately however when I heard that same sound again, I knew that I recognised it. My heart pounded in my chest as a cold rush swept over me and before I knew it I was racing forwards, diving between parked cars as Han called out to me in confusion, frowning as I sought out the source of the sound. I knew that engine, I knew the way it ticked and purred. Even after three years I still remember it clearly and I knew that it was the same one. My brother's car, his pride and joy.

When I finally found it, I could do nothing but stare at it in shock, the body paint completely changed from black and yellow to plain red but I knew it was the same. The custom mirrors, rear wing, twin exhaust pipes, just…everything. I knew it was his car and sure enough, that slimy son of a bitch who won it off him was leaning back against it. "Well, well, well, look who's back on the circuit. Haven't seen you in a long time, Masuda." Gritting my teeth I glowered heatedly towards the guy who still wore the same worn out jacket that I remember him wearing even when I was little.

"Not long enough, Satoshi." I responded coldly. "I see you've completely massacred my brother's car. You call this an upgrade?"

"Anything after your brother's work is an upgrade, baby, just keeping things real here." He answered with a twisted smirk as he stood up and came closer, his fellow gang members flocking to his side. "How about I give you a ride? You know, for old time's sake."

"In your dreams." I brushed him off as he reached out to touch my hair, stepping back in order to open up more distance between us as I felt my entire body tense up defensively. "The only reason I would get into that car was if I was taking it home myself. Besides, didn't you ever learn that trying to mess with me was detrimental to your health? Pretty sure I've given you enough black eyes to last you a lifetime you creep." Satoshi only smirked further, displaying several chipped and broken teeth from the numerous fist fights he had found himself in the middle of over the years, usually against my brother after a comment about me behind our backs but still within earshot.

"A man knows what he likes. Can't blame a guy for trying." He answered as he spread his hands. "How about a race then? I been looking for something to get the blood going after three years behind bars and what better way to get back into the game then beating the sister of the last punk I defeated? I would savour the sweet taste of victory for weeks." The nasally voice grinded horribly against my nerves as I swallowed back the bile in my throat, feeling a surge of competitiveness suddenly flare inside me as Satoshi dangled the keys to my brother's car in front of me. "I'll even let you race for slips, give you a chance to win back your brother's car. Must mean a lot to you now that he's dead and buried."

"Hey, that's enough." Han's hand closed around my arm and drew me back slightly as he, Twinkie and Sean appeared along with a few curious onlookers who noticed the tension and prospect of a fight breaking out. "That's uncool man, don't be an asshole."

"These guys bothering you Cora?" Sean asked me so with a breath to calm myself, I shook my head.

"No. I was just leaving." I informed him, turning around and placing my hand on his back to signal that we should all move on, however the next words out of Satoshi's mouth flipped me like a switch.

"That's right you little punk ass bitch, run home to your cripple daddy and your whore mother. No wonder your brother threw himself under a truck, having family like that." All at once everything snapped inside of me and I felt such uncontrollable rage that it spread through my body like a wildfire that was untameable and ripped free from any boundaries in an instant. Whirling around I flew straight back at Satoshi and slammed my full weight against him with my fingers curling into that musty jacket of his, slamming him against one of the other cars so that I loomed over him with fire dancing in my eyes.

"You bastard!" Roaring in blind fury I balled a fist to strike him, only managing one blow before both Sean and Han dragged me away from Satoshi as his followers recovered themselves from their shock and dove at me, jumping to defend Satoshi as he bled from his nose and swore as he gripped the now crooked mess.

"You damn broke my nose!"

"I'll break your face! Say that about my family again you asshole and I'll make you scream like a little bitch!" Still completely enraged by what he said, not even Han could calm me down in that moment and the most anyone could do was simply hold me back from trying to go for Satoshi again. I could bite my tongue about a lot of things, but he damn well crossed a line and there was no forgiveness for that.

"Oh yeah? Come on then! Come on! Your brother was a sissy who could never throw down with the rest of us, always thinking he were too good even though he had less than everyone on the block, let's see what you got then Masuda!" Fired up all over again I lunged forwards however Sean grabbed me around the waist and lifted me off the ground, effectively keeping me from getting anywhere however as everyone else started chanting for a fight, one of the race organisers came and broke through the crowds, ordering everyone to calm down and called for quiet. The silence was deafening, everyone listening as he surveyed the situation.

"Looks like we got some beef here. Well folks, you either take it outside or you take it to the track. What's it going to be? You gonna race to settle the score?" He asked, looking first at Satoshi who smirked again, that sickening smirk that I wanted to just smack off his face.

"This little girl wouldn't dare race against me. She doesn't even have a ride from what I hear and I only race for slips, she hasn't raced since her brother became road kill." I tugged away at Sean but he had not slackened his grip one bit meaning that I wasn't going anywhere, however in that moment I wanted nothing more than to race him. I wanted to race. I wanted to win and I wanted to drive home in my brother's EVO to take it back to the shop, returning it back to the way it was then take it home to my dad. I wanted it. I wanted it so bad that I could feel strong bursts of determination inside seemingly raring to break free.

Suddenly a key was being dangled in front of me, making me blink and momentarily become distracted before I followed the hand up to face Han who was holding it out to me, looking me dead in the eye. For once he wasn't smiling, his face deadly serious as he offered me his car to race with. He was willing to let me bet his car on this race, a race that in all honesty I didn't know if I could win. I was out of practice and hadn't been behind the wheel in over three years and although Satoshi was in a similar situation having been in jail, he didn't have the same reasons to be as terrified to drift as I did.

But still. He'd insulted my father. Insulted my mother and had trashed my brother's name several times in a very brief conversation and I was not going to let that go. Not this time. Before I even realised what I was doing I had grabbed the keys from Han and levelled my gaze against my opponent who blinked in shock. "Let's race." After a shocked pause there was suddenly a thunderous roar of applause and screams, the word quickly spreading as I strode through the crowd and head straight to Han's car, the Mazda RX-7, Veilside Fortune. They parted for me effortlessly, making way and some even looked alarmed by the stormy expression I wore but I didn't care. No matter what it took, I am taking home my brother's car if it's the last thing I do. I am not going to lose.

As I reached the car and opened up the door, Han finally caught up with me and touched my shoulder gently. "Hey." I calmed down a little when I looked at him, seeing his genuine gaze on me as he leaned in a little closer. "Win or lose, you'll make your brother proud. Go show them what you're made of." He said to me and his words made me stop and think, a little taken aback and when his words finally hit home, I felt myself get a little emotional. Han was right. Even if I lost today it wouldn't really matter. Sure I'd feel awful for losing Han his car but if I did this, then it would make Alex proud. Just the fact that I was willing to do this was immense, though now that I was beginning to think this through the gnawing panic in my gut made me feel rather ill.

"Thank you Han." I said to him in earnest before ducking into the seat and started up the engine. For a moment I sat there, getting a feel for the seat, the wheel and adjusted things to better fit me before slowly, I edged forwards. Even with the windows rolled up I could hear everyone thundering outside, cheering and shouting my name like I was some kind of returning celebrity. Even Takashi came rushing back when he realised what was happening, pushing his way to the front of the crowds in order to watch as I kept my eyes facing forwards, ignoring Satoshi as he tried to get my attention with insults and trash talk. I won't let him distract me. I am going to grind his face under these tyres if I have to, but that EVO he's driving right now? It's coming home with me.

Paying careful attention to the guy who counted us down, I tried to remember what kind of driver Satoshi was and any tricks I could prepare myself for. I knew he drove dirty, so I decided to simply be ready for anything. I was nervous and I could feel those nerves eating away at me until slowly, I could feel the rumble of the engine bring me into a world completely on my own. I felt comfortable here and when the last count came and the arms were dropped, my hands and feet moved in perfect synchrony to peel away from the starting line with a surge of power that left me gasping, freezing up slightly and instinctively pulling back on the gas which allowed Satoshi to slip out in front. "Damn it!" I winced in guilt, taking a few quick breaths to calm myself and focus. I can do this. I can do this. I haven't raced in years but that didn't mean I've lost my stuff, it just needs a little polishing off, that's all.

Satoshi took the first corner and glided around with the EVO, cutting it a little close on the tail end before darting away from me as I came up behind, losing a little more ground as I took the corner a little more slowly but with better spacing, getting used to the movements again before powering forwards. The guttering roar of the engine filled my ears and soon enough that was all I could hear, distracting me from the fact that I was shit scared and terrified, trembling even as I gripped onto the wheel. I could see Satoshi's taillights, following after them as we took the public route which made for a longer race, the same one that Sean had just won.

As we exploded out onto the streets, it suddenly hit me that this wasn't just for Alex I had to win. I was part of Han's crew, which meant if I lost it would reflect badly on him and that only pushed me further to want to win. "Alright you asshole. Let's see what you got." Cameras were filming us at every corner, people rushing to get there in time with Satoshi in the lead, coasting easily around the first few bends until they began to tighten in on themselves and he misjudged the turn, scraping the EVO at the back and on the fenders which made me wince to see whilst I found myself making the judgements in snap decisions in my head, my hands seemingly doing their own thing and knowing exactly what it was they needed to do.

I was still behind but that was okay, now wasn't the time for taking over, I would overtake on the straight and if that failed, there was a wide turn which if Satoshi took wide, I could cut in front of him and take the lead. Already I understood his driving style and knew that he went mostly by luck and speed, there was generally no skill to his driving which then made me wonder how he ever won a race, however my own question was very quickly answered. Satoshi suddenly swerved, making me swear sharply and drop back to avoid getting hit by him, trying to drive me off the road before going for it again. "You crazy little…" I couldn't even my own sentence. Satoshi suddenly braked without warning after cutting in front of me and I instinctively slammed my foot on the brake, digging in the clutch and going to neutral as I spun the wheel, my only option being to avoid hitting his rear end otherwise I would have been spun out of control.

He knew exactly what he was doing and he was playing a dangerous game. There was nothing he wouldn't do to knock me off this road, however as my tyres screeched and the car turned in on itself I quickly put it into reverse and allowed it to free spin backwards until I had found my grounding again, reversing at speed whilst looking out the back window. My god I had forgotten how exhilarating this feels, the adrenaline was unreal and as I reversed around a bend, catching up with Satoshi I pulled up alongside him, smirking as he stared at me through the window. I wiggled my fingers at him just to goad him, wanting to make him _really_ angry and it took nothing more than that.

I could see him angrily mouthing off at me even though I couldn't hear anything, rolling down the window to stick my middle finger up at him as I continued to reverse drive, drifting around the next swerve and weaving in and out of traffic as another group caught everything on camera. I am so going to demand a copy of this because I don't think I've ever driven this well. It was like everything just naturally fell into place and as I continued to streak ahead on the straight, I took this moment to spin the car around and straighten up again. It lost me a few metres of distance between me and Satoshi, allowing him to catch up so that we were neck and neck, however as the final big turn came up, I fell back slowly and allowed him to take the lead, gliding across to his inside and sure enough, he took the turn far too wide as he drifted. With a burst of speed I did not slow down even as I took the turn which continually tightened up on itself, taking it perhaps a little too tight as I saw bright sparks gleaming off the front of the car and I flinched inwardly.

Within moments I had undertaken Satoshi, my pulse hammering in my head like a constant drum as I then glided back into a straight line and continued to drift around the corners, heading into the parking bay and climbed up to the very top, spiralling effortlessly up the coiling drive until I shot out with so much force that the front wheels left the ground, sailing a few inches into the air before slamming back down once more and that sent me into a whirlwind of panic, my eyes widening in terror at the sensation as I slammed the brakes a little too late, forcing the crowds to part as I lost control and struggled to decrease the speed, ripping the wheel around so that a long trail of black ribbons snaked over the floor behind me as the Mazda whirled around in two full circles before coming to a halt, parallel to the wall with only a scarce inch or so between the mirror and the hard, stone cold concrete.


	11. Chapter 11

People were running towards me as I gripped onto the wheel for my life, trembling and shaking in my seat as I stared dead ahead, seeing nothing but a pale brightness in front of my eyes as it suddenly hit me what I had done. I had raced. I had raced even though I had sworn to never even step foot in a car again. What had I done? I could have died, this was reckless and foolish, I shouldn't have let my temper get the better of me. Oh god, what would my parents have done had they come home from their holiday to find out I had died in a car crash just like Alex? It would kill them, completely destroy them. I can't do that to them, I can't ever do this again. What was I…oh god, oh god.

"Cora!" Suddenly the passenger door was ripped open and Han climbed inside, looking me over and seeing my bare white knuckles as I gripped onto the car which was still running. "It's alright, you're okay. Here, it's in neutral and the handbrake is on. You can let go now Cora, let go." After securing the car Han slowly reached out and took my wrists, massaging them until I flexed my fingers and released the wheel. "You won Cora, you did it, you were amazing." He was beaming at me so brightly that for a moment I just stared at him, a little lost as to what was going on as everyone crowded around the steaming car, jumping and screaming and thumping their fists against the hood and trunk as Han slowly pulled me out the car before grasping me under my arms to keep me from falling from under my knees.

"That's my girl! That's my girl right there! Best damn reverse driver in all of Japan yo!" Twinkie was yelling at the top of his lungs as Sean suddenly appeared with a broad, goofy grin before I was being lifted up onto his shoulder, everyone still chanting my name and helping to lift me up and it was only then did my mind finally catch up with the car. I'd won. I'd damn well won my first race in three years. It felt both terrifying and incredible at the same time, in fact there were no words for it. My heart was still racing even when the crowds put me down and I managed to smile back, bumping fists and accepting hugs as I tried to push my way through towards the EVO which was only now just pulling up.

Satoshi had a face like thunder when he got out, yelling as he kicked one of the tyres with all his might and that just pissed me off. "Hey!" Finally breaking free I strode forwards. "A bet's a bet so settle up your dues, that car is mine." Although my hands were still trembling I thanked god that my voice remained strong as I faced off with Satoshi for the second time that night. "Now hand over the keys."

"No. No way. I ain't handing over shit." Satoshi declared however that immediately earned him a hiss from the crowds, disagreeing with his lack of sportsmanship and several of them warned him that he wouldn't be allowed to race again unless he kept his end of the deal which only made him angrier. "You can all go to hell! This bitch ain't getting my car, it's _mine_ , she didn't win nothing." There was no way in hell I was letting Satoshi walk away with my brother's car a second time, especially after I had outright won it so I spun on my heel and in three strides I was standing in front of Takashi and his crew. He looked at me in surprise however I bypassed him and went for one of the others, knowing exactly which of them carried guns and in an instant I had him disarmed and the weapon in hand.

Turning around I levelled it straight at Satoshi's head, making him freeze in place and everyone else go deadly quiet after an initial collection of screams. Strangely enough I felt extremely calm, taking slow steps forward as not to alarm anyone however Satoshi looked plenty scared enough. "I'm sorry. I don't think I heard you right. Where was it you were going with my car?" I queried innocently, the gun feeling a little odd in my hand having never held one before however I stopped a few feet short of Satoshi, keeping a safe distance away as he started to tremble in front of me.

"Nowhere." He finally amended, tossing me the keys which I caught easily and gripped onto like my life depended on it. Jerking my chin at the ground so after a quick order to one of his crew, the slip of the car's ownership was placed on the ground.

"Good. Now that's settled, you can get out of here and don't show your face here again. If I ever catch sight of you, it won't be as simple as a bullet in your head. I'll make sure you suffer a good long while before I put you out of your misery." I threatened in a deadly serious voice which Satoshi chose to believe in that moment. He very quickly left, getting into someone else's car and disappeared with his crew and as he drove away, I relaxed my shoulders and snorted. "Idiot can't even tell when a gun's not loaded." I said aloud, pulling something I had hidden in my pocket to reveal the magazine. What can I say? I have quick hands.

I returned the gun nonchalantly, ignoring the fact that Takashi was looking at me in complete dumbfounded disbelief as I collected the slip from the ground, everyone's spirits once more raising the roof as they realised I hadn't really intended on shooting anyone, just give Satoshi a scare. None of that mattered now and I didn't care about anything else in that moment other than the fact that Alex's car was all mine. Finally, I felt like a piece of him had come home. Wiping away a stray tear I moved forwards, circling the car and assessing the damage that moron had done in just one race. "So, how did it feel?" Han asked me, the two of us separated now from the rest of the crowds who were going over the race again on their phones.

"Honestly it was over faster than I realised and I was too damn terrified to really think much. I just did what came naturally and thankfully, I hadn't lost any of my old tricks." I said to him quietly as I took a good look under the hood. "But I have my brother's car back and that's all that really matters right now. I'll turn it back into just the way it used to be then maybe my dad can get some closure. He knew how much…how much Alex loved this car. It's like your Silvia. Built it up from nothing and used all his spare change for the parts, buying them one piece at a time until finally we had it completely fixed up." I lamented, running my hand nostalgically over the smooth surface, heartily disliking the neon red shade it had been painted. I couldn't wait to turn it back to its original black and yellow design.

"Well then, let's get it back to the shop. You okay to drive?" He asked me with genuine concern, placing his hand on top of mine to probably check to see if I was still shaking.

"Yeah I think so. I'll take it slow though, I don't think I'll be racing again for a while. Today was…today was just important." I couldn't find the words, too worked up and emotional to piece my thoughts together however Han understood and I knew he did. With a final squeeze he let me go, opening up the driver's side door for me then closed it securely behind me, patting the hood after dropping down then went over to his Mazda. We drove home together that night and once we were back at the shop I immediately inspected any damage to Han's car however thankfully it was nothing that a quick fix wouldn't solve.

Instead of getting to work straight away he insisted that we celebrate with a drink, reminding me that I had actually won the race and victories deserved celebration so together we sat down with a few beers each, watching the race again and it was already scoring thousands of hits on the web. "I knew seeing you drive was worth the wait. You are something else." Han said to me as I nestled against him, his arm draped around me as I lay against his chest. "How did you learn to drive like that? Did someone teach you or did you just do it?"

"It was an accident actually, took a bend too steep and hit a wall which spun me out of control. Before I knew it I was rolling backwards so I figured I'd just go with it. Pure beginner's luck I didn't crash again, though every time I tried to do it on purpose it never worked, so I just kept at it. I can do most race courses in reverse all the way, though that was back in the day. I'm probably a little rusty now."

"Didn't look rusty to me." Han mused pointedly and I chuckled, sitting up a little to take a swig of my drink. "You must be happy, having your brother's car back."

"I am. Very happy." I agreed, glancing across to where the EVO sat ready and waiting for me to get to work tomorrow. "But not just because of the car. Sure it's great having it back and it'll make my dad happier than anything to see it again, but at the end of the day, a car is just a car. For me, it's the fact that Alex loved it so much that it's important to me. As long as I have that car, I'll have a little piece of him that we shared together and nobody is going to take that away from me again. Not for anything." I had already made my mind up about that and I meant it. I pity the poor soul who would even think to try and take this car away from me, though I wouldn't put it past Satoshi to try but for now it would be fine. It's secured down which means he won't be able to take it anywhere.

Settling myself back against Han I felt his fingers begin to play with my hair a little, his heartbeat humming against my ear as I relaxed for a while and gradually expelled the last of my nerves and shaking from having gone through such an adrenaline rush all at once. I would have been quite happy to fall asleep there however when Han finished his beer he gently shifted me up so that he could reach for another so I drained mine and accepted a second. "It hasn't been just us for a while, I kind of missed it." Han noted, making me arch an eyebrow at him. "Lately things have been so busy around here there hasn't been a moment for it to be just you and me."

"I didn't realise you enjoyed my company so much Han." I flirted a little, giving him a smirk as I accepted the drink off him and clinked the bottle against his, the both of us taking a swig before I shifted into a proper upright position, kicking off my shoes so that I could cross my legs on the couch.

"Please, you're practically the only person who knows the shit I get up to and I'm not secretly double crossing. Besides, it's not exactly a secret that you and I are close. You should hear some of the rumours about us." Now this peaked my interest so I shifted in my seat to face Han expectantly, awaiting the details with a tiny smirk on my lips as he looked across to me then laughed. "Well, some people think that I'm screwing you, other people think we're just friends, there's a few rumours going around that you're pregnant with my kid and one or two people think we're just dating." Wow, those are some rumours. I didn't know that we had generated so much attention so as I tilted my head and considered his words, I then looked down at my stomach.

"Seeing as I have no memory of you and I actually ever doing anything together that could ever result in a baby, I'm pretty sure the pregnancy rumour is a dud. Plus, in about nine months people will figure that they were wrong. Just saying." I mused, still smiling as I drank some more, humming thoughtfully. "As for the rest, I don't get why people are making such a big deal out of it. It's almost like they're jealous of both of us."

"Well technically the dating rumour isn't exactly a rumour. We've gone on dates before." Han informed me and when I caught his eye, I recognised that mischievous look as one of flirtation and his tone was a dead giveaway. He was flirting with me. Well I'll be damned, I'm finally getting some clear signals. Responding in kind, my smile deepened a little further, putting down my drink to signal he had my full attention.

"Oh really? Do you perhaps want to clue me in? Because I'm pretty sure there has to be a two way agreement for it to constitute a real date." I challenged however Han was ready to hit the ball right back into my court.

"Well, every time I asked if you wanted to go somewhere you always said yes, so that counts as a two way agreement, therefore a date. Plus I could count any time we spent alone together as a date, which means all the time we had food together, went to the arcade, the trip to the beach, late night drives around town…" Han listed them off like he had it fully rehearsed in his head, making me laugh lightly.

"Okay, okay, so if you're counting, how many dates would you say we've had?" I challenged him, inching a little closer and Han very quickly reciprocated, shifting towards me as he pretended to think for a while.

"I'd say…many." He decided and my gaze flickered across his face briefly before then landing on his lips. My decision made I moved forwards and allowed my eyes to slide shut, reaching forwards and did not stop until I felt the gentle brush of Han's mouth against mine, pausing there to test the waters and thankfully, he responded in kind by securing the silky caress with a tender strength. Our kiss was explorative and deeply enticing, causing everything inside me to stir and awaken with a flood of warmth as his hand rose to slide around to the back of my neck whilst his drink became forgotten and abandoned, freeing his other hand to grip onto my waist and pull me towards him. My hands were planted against the sofa to keep me balanced as his began to follow the inward curve of my waist, exploring my shape and when I felt him grip onto my rear with an assertive grasp my sharp, airy inhale broke our kiss, taking a moment to gather my mind and my senses which had either fallen away or gone into complete overdrive.

"So which date was that?" I murmured to him softly as I watched Han's eyes slowly open, his face completely relaxed as he shifted to pull me into the cage of his body, arms and legs completely wrapped around me so that I had nowhere to go. His focus completely centring on me I couldn't help but smile contentedly as he pushed back my hair from my face and affectionately brushed his thumb over my lower lip, pulling at the soft flesh.

"The best." He finally answered and my heart gave a little thud at the charming response. No wonder he was so popular, I never realised what a smooth talker he was. No wonder he can keep Takashi somewhat pacified and all this dealings running smooth as silk. Unable to hide my quick smile I leaned in and kissed him again, this time with a little more heat and drew him into me, wrapping my arms around his neck before then pulling back and arching an eyebrow.

"And that one?"

"That was also pretty good, I'd say top five." He teased me, making me chuckle as his hands settled on my waist. He was just looking at me, seemingly drinking in all my features so I cocked my head slightly, curious as to why he was looking at me like that. "I always knew you were one of a kind Cora."

"And don't you forget it." I told him seriously, smiling as I leaned in and kissed his cheek. "The others will be back soon."

"True." He agreed however Han gave no indication that he intended to let me go, trapping me against him even as I wriggled.

"As much as I would love to be put on the spot should someone walk in and see us, I don't particularly want to have this long discussion about exactly what this means and where this places us tonight since I've already had plenty of excitement and terrifying life changes from one small race alone." Giving Han a warning look he smirked at me before letting me go but not before he claimed another kiss, one that drew me in and threatened to distract me once more before I pushed myself off of him and got up from the couch, grabbing my drink as I went. "Nice try but no."

"It was worth a shot. Maybe I'll have better luck next time." The charming velvet tone of his voice won me over momentarily, making me stoop back down to place a light kiss on his face though his hand wrapped itself around my arm and allowed my fingers to do the same as he hung onto me until I moved away, keeping hold of me until the very last moment where our fingertips brushed before I detached myself from him. My head was spinning with so many thoughts and intense feelings that were rising through me that I had to get some fresh air just to try and calm down a little. As if tonight couldn't get any more unexpected. Not only did I come home with my brother's EVO but Han and I may or may have not started something of an actual relationship, though I stubbornly refused to get my hopes up as, after all, I knew exactly how I felt but with Han, it was still something of a mystery. The truth can hold out until tomorrow, however. For now, I'm happy just breathing it all in.


	12. Chapter 12

I half expected Han to either forget about what happened last night or to simply not take any further action on it, however to my pleasant surprise the moment he came down from the bunks with the rest of the boys the first thing he did was walk over to me, hug me from behind and kiss my cheek. "Good morning my racing champ." He murmured a little teasingly and I couldn't help but laugh quietly.

"It was one race Han so don't be getting ahead of yourself. It was a one off event with extenuating circumstances, so don't be hopeful of seeing it happen again anytime soon." I warned him realistically, already having starting on repairing the scratches to his car however he made me put everything down so that he could turn me around to face him. Before I knew it he was kissing me and my immediate thought was that I was glad we were obscured from view from everyone else, my hands jumping to fist into his shirt as I melted into him before I suddenly snapped myself awake and jerked back away from him with an alarmed expression. My response made Han frown slightly.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes it's fine, it's just…" I trailed off, biting on my lip as I tried to figure out exactly what was going on in my mind before I could lay it out into words. Lifting a finger to request a moment to organise my thoughts, I took a deep breath before I looked Han directly in the eye. "Han, you don't view me as one of those model girls that usually end up hanging off your arm, do you?" I asked him and for a moment, Han seemed genuinely taken aback by my question.

"No, you're the furthest thing away from them as you could get." He said and had I been anyone else, I might have taken offence to that but I chose not to mind it. "Is that what you're worrying about up here?" He smiled softly as he tapped my forehead lightly. "Cora, you're not like them, but that's not a bad thing. You mean far more to me than all of them put together." Not expecting him to be so upfront about it, I was a little lost as to what to say next or what I should do however Han was already way ahead of me, ducking his head to mine and capturing my lips in a rather sensuous kiss that left me tingling. "How about we start of slow, just like we're cruising, then when you're feeling braver, we can pick up the speed." Winking at me I couldn't help but smirk.

"You're definitely a guy who knows what he wants." I noted to him and Han nodded his head in agreement, hands still encircling my waist.

"That's right and what I want is you, Cora." Touched and admittedly rather flattered, I happily slipped my arms around his neck and reached up to kiss him, no longer caring who saw us or anything else. For all my silent attraction to Han I didn't realise that there had actually been a chance that he returned that same attraction, though my feelings ran much deeper than that, I was happy with this for now, though I'll be mad if he continues walking around with girls draped over him like a coat. Eventually I had to persuade Han that we both had work to do so I made him let go of me so that I could carry on with my job which he helped me with, getting it done in half the time whilst the other kids started on some of the other cars.

"Hey Cora, what were you thinking with your EVO?" Sean asked me as he opened up the hood and took a look at what was going on under there.

"Well to start with I am going to have to rewire the lights so they stop doing that stupid flashing thing as well as the underbelly glow. I'm going to turn it back exactly to how I last remember it, which includes getting rid of this horrible shade of red. Honestly, it's like it was done by someone who was colour blind."

"Agreed, you wouldn't be able to drive through Spain with that thing, you'd have every bull in town chasing after you." Sean agreed and I chuckled at his humour before setting to work, drawing up a list and sketching out the engine as I could remember it and anything I couldn't remember I improvised based off my brother's tastes and made slight adjustments to accommodate weight and space. With everything sketched out both in my mind and on paper, I set to work ordering parts in with my savings though Han tried to persuade me to order it through the shop so that I didn't have to pay but I wasn't comfortable with the idea of basically using his money to fix up my brother's car and after a rather back and forth debate, I won the argument by saying that I wanted to feel like Alex's car was now totally and completely mine, which meant paying for the parts myself.

Things settled down again for a few days and everything seemed to be naturally falling into place, though of course it didn't last for very long. With Sean getting closer and closer to Neela Takashi threw a fit of jealous rage and ended up punching Sean a few times in the face. When he and the others rolled up that evening and I saw his face covered in blood I initially panicked, dropping everything and hurrying over. "Oh my god, Sean what happened?"

"Ask Takashi. Guy's got a screw loose in his head." Twinkie wiggled his finger around in a circle by his temple as he walked by to find something to eat whilst I made Sean halt in front of me so I could take a closer look at his injuries.

"Takashi did this?"

"He just wanted to try and shake me up a little that's all." He informed me in his heavy accent, trying to come across all innocent and honest however I could tell straight away that there was more to it than that, so I made Sean sit down so I could clean him up and make sure nothing needed stitches or a check up at the hospital. "It's nothing really, you don't need to be all worried like that Cora."

"Well if you're going to start walking in here with blood all over your face and shirt then of course I'm going to be worried." I responded simply as I finally managed to get the last of the blood off his face but looked despairingly at his shirt. "This is going to have to soak in some salt and warm water overnight. Go get yourself changed into something clean and let me take care of this. Your dad is going to freak out when he finds out about this." Sean frowned at me.

"There's no way my dad could find out about this right? Unless you're telling him what I'm getting up to?" His tone was a little accusing so I offered him a relaxed smile, crossing my arms in front of me.

"Your dad is the one who calls me, Sean. He asks about you, wants to know that you're okay and safe because he worries about you even though you two didn't exactly straighten things out." Sean seemed taken aback by the news so I gently encouraged him to go get changed and take it easy for the rest of the evening. Han came up beside me and pulled me towards him by my waist, the two of us watching Sean's back disappear into the back where his stuff was all laid out in his bunk. "How angry was Takashi?"

"Like pressurised nitrous oxide." He supplied to me so I exhaled deeply. That was a lot of anger. "Though he knew it was coming. We all warned him what he was getting himself into with Neela so he's only got himself to blame. I'll give the kid credit though, he can take a hit."

"I'm glad to see you're picking up on the important points with this issue." I drawled at Han sarcastically so he smirked at me before inclining his head and leading me upstairs where he pulled me onto his lap to relax for a while, everyone joining us at their own leisure. In all fairness Sean seemed to be taking the beating he'd received today rather seriously and wasn't exactly joking around about it though Twinkie seemed to think it brought him a little more street credit and no one would try messing with him.

"Come on now Twink, that's enough already." I nudged him with my foot to shut him up. "Don't you kids have school tomorrow?" Instantly they all groaned, complaining and trying to make excuses to not go, complaining about it general and quickly making plans to enjoy their night so that they didn't have to think about school tomorrow. "Well they cleared out fast." Pursing my lips thoughtfully Han chuckled, shifting me in his lap so that I was better angled towards him.

"Now it's just you and me." Knowing exactly where we wanted to take things, I leaned down to kiss Han however almost immediately we were interrupted by people beginning to show up from next door, the night life coming alive in Tokyo and for once Han looked like he wanted everyone else to just disappear. Feeling a little awkward now that other people were now arriving and making themselves at home I slid off of Han's lap and stood up as the swarm of supermodel babes came gushing inside, all excitedly chattering in a mixture of languages and I naturally made to leave. "Whoa now what's the rush? You don't have to leave just because the party's started." Han was already on his feet and following after me, brushing off the girls who immediately flocked to him. "Are you angry or something?"

"What?" Frowning slightly in confusion I looked over at him as I climbed back down to the lower floor. "What do you mean?"

"I'm asking if you're mad about these girls being here." Han iterated and it made me chuckle inwardly that that was his first go to.

"I'm not mad at all Han, what made you think that I was?"

"You got up to leave pretty quickly." He reasoned rather pointedly and I blushed a little, reaching up and tucking a stray lock of hair back into my ponytail. I couldn't help it really. All these girls were glammed up and looking stunning as usual whilst I was still wearing my work overalls and slacks. The contrast couldn't be more dynamic.

"I'm not mad, I just…feel a little intimidated and…inferior, that's all." I admitted to him with a careless shrug as I faced him with a relaxed stance. "I mean, I'm not exactly the type to win a bikini model of the year award or anything like that. I've always seen you with girls like that so I just figured that they were a type of girl that you liked." Speaking quite honestly Han leaned back against the worktop, folding his arms and smirking at me like he was amused.

"I can't believe I'm only just now finding out that you're this self conscious Cora. You worry about things like that?" He asked me so I shot him a dry look, warning him not to test my patience and that he was toeing the line. Holding up his hands he surrendered to my look though he was still smirking and I wanted nothing more than to knock that smirk off his face however before I could even open my mouth to say anything, something freezing cold and wet came tumbling down from above and landed directly on my head.

It was so cold that I jolted violently and had to suck back my screech as I felt ice and water trickle down the back of my neck, shivering against the sensation before I let lose an irate growl. "Twink!"

"Sorry! My bad, I was just messing around…didn't mean to actually…please don't kill me." Twinkie pressed his hands together in prayer at me so I shook my head and let it pass, yelling up at him to be more careful and not mess around with the ice buckets otherwise I'd come up there and tip one over his head. My overalls were soaked through at the top, making it cold and uncomfortable so I unbuttoned them down the front then tied the arms around my waist as I went in search of a towel, pulling off my wet shirt as well so that I was wearing only a black padded crop top, exposing my midriff which was toned with sharp definition just like my arms, strengthened by all the manual labour I worked every day. To be honest I hadn't even thought about my appearance in that moment, wanting to get the cold garments off me and pulled the towel off the rack to wrap it around me protectively whilst Han gave a long, low whistle.

"And you say you're not bikini model material." He said to me as he walked over, looking me up and down as my teeth chattered together and hugged the towel very close around my body.

"What are you talking about now Han?" I hadn't exactly heard what he'd said before so with only a single smirk as a warning, Han suddenly ripped away my towel and I made a strong noise of protest, lunging forwards to try and snatch it back but he threw it over his shoulder out of reach. "Han! I'm freezing!"

"That's why you got me, I can warm you up in no time." He told me a little seductively as his bare hands went to my waist and began to work his fingers into my skin. "Now this is what I call sexy."

"Really? You're choosing this moment to be all charming and smooth? I just had a bucket of ice water thrown all over me, I'm not exactly-!" Sealing my lips shut with his I completely lost track of my argument, feeling nothing but the velvety texture of his lips and the roughened pads of his fingers against my body as he ran them up and down the curve of my waist down to my hips as I made soft sounds at the back of my throat without even meaning to. "…in the mood." I finally finished when he pulled back, looking at me a little victoriously so I shoved against him whilst desperately trying to hide my smile. "I see how it is, you're only interested so long as you can see a little skin. Well you're going to find it's not so easy with me so you can dream on."

"I already got my dream come true right here."

"Smooth. Did you get that one from a cheat sheet off the internet?" Not giving up, Han and I played our little game until we were laughing with one another, me still wearing nothing topside except my skimpy little top which I wore for ease and comfort whilst working so I reclaimed the towel then found something clean and dry to wear, getting changed so that I was once more comfortable. The party upstairs continued to grow as the night wore on however instead of joining them, Han asked me out for a date, saying that he wanted to get away for a while so I heartily agreed.

We went out for food before taking a walk around town, Han holding my hand and running his thumb against my skin as we went around looking at the sights. After a couple hours we found a bar which I found rather pleasant to socialise in. It had a warm and relaxed atmosphere, golden lighting which glowed softly and a gentle hum of chatter. Of course being competitive, Han challenged me to a game of pool and sadly, I found I wasn't very good at it. "I'm beginning to think you've rigged this somehow." I said to him with laughter in my voice as I missed the ball yet again.

"All it takes is time and a little skill, both of which I had plenty of." He responded before coming around to stand behind me. "Here, let me show you how it's done." With his hands on mine he moved me into position, changing my grip on the cue and how I splayed them out onto the table though I became slightly distracted by the fact that he was extremely close and I think he knew exactly what he was doing, because the moment I tried to focus on hitting the white ball he began to trail kisses down my neck, working his lips into me and when he nipped against my flesh I squeaked sharply and jolted, shooting the ball forwards and it chipped off the table.

"Han! Now you're definitely cheating."

"All's fair in love and war." He quoted simply, trying to look innocent so I dug into his ribs as payback, fighting him off playfully before going to reclaim the ball so he could take his shot. So of course, Han beat me again and again but by our fifth game I was beginning to get the hang of things and I could at least pot a few of the balls and had gained a little accuracy. "You see? Time and practice and you'll be a pro like me."

"I think you just like the satisfaction at finally being better than me at something." I answered him easily as he placed his jacket over my shoulders to keep me warm, his arm naturally sliding around me. "After all, we all know who's the boss when it comes to gaming."

"Keep on talking like that and you'll be playing an even more dangerous game." Han warned me and I chuckled, shaking my head before leaning a little closer into him. I always loved spending time with Han, just the two of us. It had been a while since I had last dated and I realise now that I had missed the companionship, though of course we hadn't really discussed our position with one another. At the moment I was happy to just keep things simple between us and although to me I saw Han as something more, I had no intention of rushing things considering how long it had taken for us to reach the same page. "So what shall we do now? The night's still young and it is Tokyo so there's plenty to do."

"We could take a drive?" I suggested and Han looked to me in surprise, halting on the spot so I inclined my head. "Come on, let's go a little faster this time. Okay?" Suddenly Han was grinning, nodding his head so we went back to pick up one of his cars and before I knew it, he was making a swift getaway before anyone noticed that we were back. We went up to the mountain road and with Han driving at speed I revelled in the sensation of the drift, gliding around the curves and corners without even needing to think about it. "I don't think I've actually ever been in the passenger seat whilst drifting before." Murmuring quietly I smiled as the moonlight grew more intense as the clouds began to peel away from the sky. "It's a very different experience."

"You should see how they drive over on the continent. I've seen some intense races whilst I was over there though mostly they race in a straight line. Ten seconds, that's all it lasts." Ten second races, that's not nearly long enough. It'll be over before you know it and it leaves you practically no time at all to actually show off your skills. If you lost it would because you just weren't fast enough.

"I like the way we race." I decided aloud and Han glanced across to me as we drifted around another corner. "Drifting to me almost feels like flying. Like you got everything and nothing to fear at the same time and that's all that's keeping you alive."

"Was that why your brother raced?" Han asked me and I had to think for a moment, reflecting on my brother and remembering his face each time he got out his car after a race. No matter whether he'd won or lost, he was always smiling, like he didn't care at all about the result, the fact that he had joined in was all that mattered to him.

"Alex liked the speed, but I think racing was more to him than that. For a long time it was the only way we could put food on our table and he used that as his excuse to keep on racing, even after we managed to keep afloat on our own." I began, still thinking about my brother and despite everything, thoughts of him made me smile nostalgically. "I only raced for the fun of it back then, but Alex? I think he raced because he truly loved it. Nothing else could make him happier and even if he lost, he always said he'd just do better next time." A hand reached out and took mine, Han noticing the tears even before I'd realised they were there. "The only time he didn't smile was when he lost the EVO."

"So that's why it was so important for you to win it back." He said to me, letting go to work the gears as we glided around another corner before he then took my hand again. "It's not just because it was your brother's car, it was because it was his last defeat and you wanted to erase it. Do you think maybe that you just wanted your brother's soul to be at peace again?" Startled, I turned my head to stare at Han a moment, such thoughts having not even crossing my mind until I suddenly realised he was right. A part of me did feel more settled knowing I had the car back and I felt that all this time, Alex wouldn't have been able to be at peace.

"You know me better than I do."

"It's a gift." Han responded with a smug little smile so I rolled my eyes, the two of us smiling as Han continued to drive until we were all the way at the top of the mountain. He pulled over, driving forwards so that we overlooked the city with all the lights and vibrant glow which shone around its outline, painting the black sky with an orange hue and although most people complained about the light pollution and the fact that you couldn't see the stars at night, I found I liked it just the way it was. I was a true born city girl and Tokyo was my home, but as I sat there taking in the sights, I found myself wondering what the rest of the world was like.

"Han, can you tell me about the places you've been?" I asked him after a few moments of quiet between us. "You talk about the world and all the things you done, but you don't really say much about what it felt like to be out there. I'd like to take a look for myself someday, so for now, could you tell me?"

"The world's a big place and I've been to many of them. What would you like to hear about first?" It took some time for Han to get through all the places he'd been but I enjoyed listening about them all, learning a little more about Han as well just by watching his expressions and hearing the way he talked about certain places. Hearing about them only made me more determined to see them and Han promised me he'd take me to them someday, again saying that he'd like for me to meet his family in the west and it made me chuckle how fondly he spoke of them all, though he called some of them real morons. By this point I felt like I could pick them out of a crowd I knew enough about them. Their habits, descriptions, names, pretty much anything Han knew about them, I did to.

We ended up talking for a fair number of hours, however we were interrupted when several more cars came drifting up in the hills, screeching to a stop and the two cars roared at us as they came either side, yelling excitedly and demanding a race back down, recognising Han's car and they seemed to know him well, though perhaps weren't exactly scared because when Han initially declined, they challenged him again, baiting him with insults and offering up a bet of money, roughly two thousand American dollars' worth each. The number made Han pause, pursing his lips thoughtfully before he looked at me. I only smirked.

"Smoke 'em."

"Yes ma'am." And just like that, we raced. It was different going down than to how it felt going up because Han put on even more speed and the thrill of people behind us made it all the more exhilarating. A few months ago this would have terrified me, however now I felt more relaxed than ever, I didn't even bat an eyelash. I trusted Han and I knew that I couldn't be safer since I was with him. It was barely even a challenge for Han to win and when we drove away with four thousand dollars cash in the car, I could see a slight glow of smugness in Han's face, both of us glancing across to each other before beginning to laugh.

It was in the early hours of the morning by this point and we were both ready to turn in however the shop would have been still very lively as it wasn't quite late enough for night life to end so instead, Han took me back to his place. We relaxed for a little while together, having a drink and even watched a movie on that comfortable sofa of his, though I was even more comfortable resting against Han as the both of us snacked on a huge bowl of popcorn.

Neither of us intended to do anything that night, however when Han kissed me goodnight, I pulled him back for a second, then a third and before I knew it our initially innocent kiss had become enflamed and passionate which led to clothes disappearing from our bodies and tangled sheets which were abandoned altogether and by morning I awoke in a blissful daze, taking a few moments for everything to come back to me however with Han's arms wrapped rather possessively around me, it didn't take much more than that to trigger the memories to come rushing back all at once. His lips kissed my bare shoulder and instantly I smiled, feeling more at home there than I ever had done before so when I turned over and looked Han directly in the eyes, I knew then what I should have figured out a long time ago.

I loved him.


	13. Chapter 13

"What is this all about Cora? You're being rather secretive today." Dad said to me as I wheeled him forwards and my mother followed with Reiko leading her, both of them being blindfolded.

"I told you it's a surprise, you'll find out in just a moment so be a little patient." I chuckled as my mother held up her hands and tried to feel her way forwards.

"Does this have something to do with the reason you have been spending more time here than at home?" She asked and I laughed again.

"Yes it does. I promise you'll like it so don't be so worried." Leading them inside I parked my father's chair then nodded to Reiko as she made my mother stand next to him, the two of them finding one another's hands and gripped on as I took a deep breath, glanced across to Han who gave me an encouraging smile before I took off their blindfolds. For a moment they blinked, eyes adjusting to the light before finally looking forward. My dad recognised the EVO first, going deadly still and when it clicked for my mother, she gasped and her hands jumped to cover her mouth.

The jet black made the yellow look all the more vibrant, striking and powerful looking as it stood parked before them. "Cora, is that…?" Dad trailed off, unable to find the words and I could see that his eyes were beginning to water.

"Yes dad it is. I got Alex's car back and it's never leaving this family again." I vowed as I stood next to my mother who tremblingly gripped onto my hand. "Alex has come home." At this point my mother burst into tears and sobbed against me so I held her, my father unlocking his wheels so that he could wheel himself forwards and slowly circle the car, inspecting every inch of it before placing his hand against the frame. He sucked in a deep breath and tried to remain strong, nodding his head in acceptance as Han lifted up the hood for him to see every detail.

Everyone else watched in respectful yet heart warmed silence, smiling in understanding as my mother sobbed and my father lovingly looked over the car. I drove them home in it and as my father closed his eyes to feel and listen to the engine, I couldn't help but sense Alex's presence with us, as if he were right there in the car and was smiling. My parents swore to never allow this car to ever leave us, that even if they lost everything else they would never be prevailed upon to sell it and I was glad that they felt the same way I did. Seeing as my parents didn't have a garage or anywhere safe to put the EVO, they made sure that it would be safe back at Han's place and I assured them that with all of Han's cars there, no one would be able to get to Alex's EVO considering all the security he had and even if they did get past it, this car wouldn't be on top of their list so they were satisfied.

When I returned, Han could see the emotion I was carrying with me so he waited for me as I parked the EVO then went over to him, relieved to see him as I leaned against his chest and his arms came to wrap themselves around me. "Feel better?"

"More than I can say." I agreed so he held me a little more securely.

"You two lovebirds make me sick, go get a room." Twinkie complained and the others all laughed as Han gave a smartass response. Once I had collected myself back together we continued working and I finished things off in the office, making sure everything was up to date and organised so that I too could put down the paperwork and pick up a blowtorch instead. Han and I were working on one car whilst the kids took care of another, all of us falling into a comfortable work ethic, though at some point in the afternoon Neela showed up.

She looked as if she had been crying and there were still tear stains against her skin but when Han frowned and made to move forwards I hurriedly caught his arm and pulled him back, shaking my head as Sean hurriedly stopped what he was doing and went over to her. His tenderness and concern was exceedingly obvious as he approached Neela, casting his eyes over her face before softly placing his arm around her to both draw her in and lead he forwards. Letting go of Han I kissed his cheek before getting some tea for both Neela and Sean as they sat down to talk and I caught a little of what Neela was saying, how she had finally confronted Takashi on how he was treating Sean and how she had come to the decision to leave him.

Pouring them both a drink I placed them on the table and Neela gave me a shaky smile, thanking me sincerely so I gave her shoulder a light squeeze. "You can stay here as long as you like Neela, it's okay." I said to her as Sean had opened his mouth to ask me and his shoulders relaxed almost instantly so I winked at him. "We take care of our own here. My parents have a spare room so if you need somewhere to hide for a while I can take you there if you need and Takashi won't ever find you, he wouldn't think to look."

"Thank you Cora-san." With a chuckle I told Neela to forget about honorifics and relax a little, leaving the two to continue their talk as I went back over to Han.

"She alright?"

"Well I don't see any physical signs of abuse if that's what you mean, but she's still in a state." I murmured back quietly so that only Han would hear. "I said it was alright for her to stay here for a while, is that okay with you?"

"Sure, I'm not about to kick her out into the streets if she's got no place else to go. She's welcome here whenever and however long she likes." Han said as he continued to work, slowly drawing out plans and sketches for his next grand plan. I felt uneasy about the whole thing, my gut telling me that something bad was about to happen and it must have shown on my face as when Han next glanced my way he stopped and put down his pencil. "What is it?"

"Just a feeling I can't shake." With a sigh I reached out for Han, taking his hand in mine and he frowned a little, seeing the distress in my expression and tried to smooth it away with his fingertips. "Han, I think you should lay low with Takashi for a while or at least cut down on the side deals. He's bound to start noticing sooner or later what you're up to and I don't trust that your usefulness to him is going to stop him from blowing up. You know he's got a temper and I don't want you getting hurt."

"Everything is going to be fine. If DK hasn't figured out by now what's going on then it's unlikely that he ever will. I'm just playing the game just like anyone else would, that's all." Seeing that I was still uncertain and very much on edge Han kissed my forehead, making me relax a little and take a breath to calm myself. "I'll take care of it Cora. Trust me."

"Alright, if you're sure." I conceded, trusting Han that he knew what he was doing. After that he asked me for my opinion on his little project so I allowed myself to become distracted, the two of us planning and debating on our best options in improving the performance of the Skyline which kept us busy for a long while until our voices were drowned out by the sound of car engines coming closer, at first being a simple hum until suddenly they were like the roar of thunder, tyres screeching as they came to a halt outside and Takashi himself came storming in with Morimoto close behind. Instantly that sense of foreboding came slamming back into my gut when I saw Takashi's furious expression and Han immediately pushed me behind him as a warning to stay back as he went forwards, spreading his arms to great the Drift King of Tokyo.

"Hey brother." Han had tried to calm things down by being cheerful and welcoming however in an instant Takashi had punched him across the face with enough force to spin him around and I cried out his name upon instinct, making to fly forwards however Han held up a hand whilst keeping it hidden, making me freeze in face as he slowly turned back to face Takashi who furiously spat his accusations at Han.

"I vouched for you! Put my reputation on the line for you! We were partners!" The sense of shock and fear rippled throughout the shop, everyone freezing in their place and out of the corner of my eye I could see Sean standing in front of Neela to shield her from view. "You think you can keep your side deals from me?"

"Come on. We ain't in the Boy Scouts. This is what we do." Han tried to reason however when Takashi answered by simply pulling out a gun, I felt my whole world turn bleak and cold, fear coursing through my veins as I desperately searched for something I could do or even throw at Takashi to distract him without putting Han in more danger.

"Takashi!" Neela cried out his name, darting out from behind Sean and came hurrying down the steps to try and help however Sean caught her hand and kept her back as Takashi glanced her way then returned his focus on Han, eyes burning an even deeper shade of hate and rage.

"What about now? Huh? Is this what we do?" To his credit, Han never once faltered. It was like nothing seemed to frighten him and as he answered back, his voice never wavered. It made me wonder how many times Han had stared down the barrel of a gun before to have developed nerves of steel like this.

"Man, you need me. You'd still be shaking down teahouses for chump change if it wasn't for me." Without warning the garage doors dropped down, the mechanical whir making Takashi look away and all at once Han knocked the gun from his hands and punched him across the jaw with enough force to send Takashi to the floor whilst Sean took this chance to also strike Morimoto. Everything happened faster than my eyes could keep up with however the moment the confusion started I darted forwards, reaching for Han who quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me along with him as we raced for the back, Morimoto and another of Takashi's followers chasing after us. "Get in!"

Not wasting a second I crashed into Han's car, ripping open the door and slamming it shut behind me as he took the driver's side and before he was even properly sat down in the seat we were streaking forwards and away from our pursuers. "Han…"

"We're going to be okay. I promise." Han told me with confidence, reaching out his hand which was warm and reassuring as he gripped onto my cold and clammy fingers. "We'll be okay." My pulse slowly began to calm down with his words, nodding my head and breathing in deep breaths so that I wouldn't panic. I should have listened to my instincts when they told me that things were going to go sour with Takashi and despite Han's reassurances and the fact that I trusted him completely, the old fears started to creep in, the bright glare of other drivers' headlights making me flinch each time so I pressed my eyes shut to block them out.

Sean and Neela were right behind us as were Morimoto and Takashi, chasing us down in their cars whilst weaving in and out of traffic. The race was on and I could feel the intensity burning inside of me like flames of ice, freezing everything within me so I could do nothing but hold on for balance and support. "How are they doing back there?" Han asked me so with a breath I twisted around in my seat to see what was happening, checking on Sean and Neela who were being rammed by Morimoto.

"Jesus…" Han looked at me questioningly however when I caught sight of Morimoto collide head on with another car I quickly turned away, trembling violently as I struggled to not think about the fact that our lives were on the line here. "We don't have to worry about Morimoto anymore." Understanding exactly what I meant Han reached out and quickly brushed the back of his fingers down my cheek, murmuring soft words in Japanese almost like a mantra to help me stay calm, promising that he wasn't going to let anything happen to me and that I was going to be home with my parents very soon but I cut him off, telling him that I didn't want to be anywhere except right here next to him. "You need me so face it Han, you're not going anywhere without me until I know that you're going to be safe. Even if I have to throw that Takashi off a bridge, I am not leaving your side." A surge of courage seemed to come over me, my expression growing hard and stubborn which only made Han laugh shortly, still moving in and out of the traffic.

"You're one of a kind Cora."

"Of course I am, now drive like your life depends on it."

"Yes ma'am." We were coming up onto a straight bit of road which for a few moments was completely deserted, allowing Han to streak further ahead until more traffic hit and he was forced to react by pure instinct to avoid getting hit by any of the other cars. I kept a careful watch over everything around us, giving him directions and warning him when something was coming up in his blind spot however when we noticed Takashi trying to knock Sean and Neela off the road, Han immediately hit the brake and slowed down, forcing Takashi to also pull back which gave Sean the opening to accelerate ahead.

"He's coming up on your left, aim for that gap there." I pointed ahead of us towards where two cars where driving in front. "He'll have to break away from us." Doing as I said Han went for the gap and even though it was close, we pulled through. When I realised exactly where we were, I couldn't help but suck in a breath of fear as I saw the masses of people scrambling to separate and get out of the way, Sean warning them of our approach with his horn and as the crowds split apart he drifted through with Han and I following, Takashi right on our tail. I only breathed again once we were clear of the people and back into the traffic.

Twisting around I could see Takashi in the wing mirror, the road now wide enough for him to easily come up alongside however as we drifted around a corner Han once again hit the brakes to slow us down, allowing Takashi to overtake as a means to try and keep him from trying to hit us but the guy refused to give in. He drifted in a circle, turning tightly so that when he levelled out he was facing us directly. Reverse driving, that son of bitch, that's my move! "Get down!" Han suddenly grabbed the back of my head and I quickly hunched over, hearing the bullet smash through the windshield and a rain of glass scattered everywhere.

"Han!" When I heard the second shot Han grunted and, fearing he'd been hurt, I looked up but I didn't see any blood, much to my relief. Han rammed Takashi with a burst of speed, spiralling him out of control and allowed us to streak ahead. I exhaled with relief, glancing over my shoulder to check that Takashi was still spinning before looking across to Han. Through his window I saw a silver shape loom over us, growing larger in size until it suddenly clicked in my head. "HAN!" I screamed out his name, trying to warn him however the car struck his side with mind numbing force, the window shattering and I felt myself be flung to the side with so much power that I felt something in my arm give a sickening crack.

Almost out of pure blind instinct I pressed my other hand up against the roof and braced myself, keeping myself anchored to my seat as the car was lifted up onto the hood of the one that had broadsided us before we were rolling, Han's grunts of pain filling my ears as well as the sound of crunching metal and shattering glass. I could feel hot blood pouring down my face from several cuts and from my nose, causing me to cough and splutter as it ran down the back of my throat until finally everything went deadly still.

For a moment, I was too stunned and dazed to do anything. I was confused as to why we were upside down but then like a whiplash, the pain I felt in my arm and all over my body suddenly woke me up and my immediate thoughts went to Han. He was right next to me, the both of us hanging upside down however he was completely unresponsive, not moving and his eyes were closed. His seatbelt. He hadn't been wearing his seatbelt. Mewling in fear I struggled to get mine off, ripping it from me so that I was free to move.

The crumpled mess of the car made it near impossible to do anything however somehow I managed to twist and get my legs out of the window, shifting backwards with sluggish and uncoordinated movements but when a sudden smell hit my nose, a fresh wave of fear and adrenaline got me moving again. Gasoline. Exposed gas meant danger and since there were flames slowly creeping towards the leak, I knew that if I didn't get Han out of there now then we were both dead. I wasn't leaving him behind, I couldn't. "Han, Han come on, wake up, wake up!" My injured arm screamed in pain when I tried to move it but I pushed through the agony, grasping onto Han and dragged him with every ounce of strength I could muster to try and get him free. "Han!"

"Cora!" I was sobbing as Sean yelled my name, breaking through the crowds who were staring in horror at the wreck but not thinking to try and help. He ran forwards without any consideration to his own safety and grasped Han's other arm so that together, we pulled him free from the wreck and continued to drag him over the ground away from it moments before I felt nothing but heat and everything around me burst with light. Screams sounded from everywhere as I dropped down to my knees and covered Han, the explosion billowing outwards and as the hot flames tore through the metal of Han's car I held onto him with everything I was worth. He wasn't breathing.

"Han come on, come on you have to breathe, please Han breathe! Open your eyes, something!" Dread, fear, horror and desperation rippled through my body with every pulse as I gripped Han's face and tried to breathe life into him, pressing my lips to his as the salt of my tears mingled between our lips.

"Cora, Cora what do I do? How do I help?" My mind was beginning to clear at that point and even though I was fear stricken with Han's condition, I knew that Sean and Neela weren't safe so I pushed him away.

"Go, run! Hide! Run Sean, run!" I pushed him away repeatedly, barely able to see straight for the tears that gathered in my eyes however I saw Sean turn and bolt as Neela grasped his hand to pull him away, listening to my judgement which then allowed me to turn back to Han once I saw them disappear into the crowds. Immediately I resumed with Han's resuscitation, refusing to give up on him as everyone else either watched or filmed what was going on. I begged him to come back, screaming curses and threats whilst in my head I felt my mind imagine what it must have been like for Alex to be hit by that truck. Had he lain on the road, broken and bleeding and alone? I wished I could have been there, even to just hold his hand and tell him that everything was going to be alright, even if it was a lie.

"Please. Please. Come back, don't leave me too Han. Come back to me." My voice was hoarse from my previous screaming, struggling to keep my eyes open as the throbbing pain in my arm began to work against me however by this point the paramedics arrived. I started to sob with relief, begging them to safe him and refused to be touched or taken away until Han was alright, however they insisted that all I could do now was allow myself to be treated and let them take care of Han. I knew they were right but still, I didn't want to leave him. I didn't want him to be surrounded by strangers in what could be his last moments so I refused to think like that. Han will live. They'll bring him back, stabilise him and he'll make a full recovery. I have to believe in that.

After that, things were a blur. It was some time later I woke up with large gaps in my memory and the nurse had to explain to me again what happened, though the first thing I wanted was Han and to know how he was. My only injuries were various abrasions from the glass and a broken arm as well as a concussion, however they allowed me to go and see him. He was alive. I thanked heaven and earth that he was alive and when the two nurses tenderly helped me walk to where he was being treated, I almost collapsed from relief. That constant bleeping from the monitor was a sound I could not hate, because it confirmed that Han's heart was beating.

One of the nurses cautioned me as I went to Han's side and gripped onto his hand tightly as he lay unmoving on the bed that I should not become too hopeful, that Han was still very much in a dangerous state as even though he was only sleeping, his condition may suddenly worsen and we could lose him. "But he might wake up, right?" The nurses glanced at one another and once again told me that even though it was possible, it was also possible that Han could die. "I'll take it. Even if it's a small chance, it's better than nothing." Fresh tears slid down my face so I breathed, lifting Han's hand to my face and tried not to think about how cold he was.

I learned later from the doctors that Han had barely been alive when he was brought in that it was likely that me trying to resuscitate him was the only reason that he was still alive right now. It took every ounce of strength I had to keep from breaking down as they explained exactly how the surgery had went and the extensive list of injuries from the crash but they comforted me with the knowledge that if he can hang on for at least another twenty four hours they were confident that he would make a full recovery.

My parents came a little later having been notified by the hospital once I had given them my details and as my mother sobbed against me, my father grimly took my hand and held onto it without letting go. I could feel him trembling so once my mother had released me I embraced him, assuring them both that I was alright and that it was just an accident. It took a long time for them to calm down however my mother was insisting that I never go near a car again, still too overcome with shock and panic to be thinking rationally, however it was dad who finally calmed her down.

"My dear, accidents happen every day. Even if Cora was never to drive a car again there is no guarantee that this will keep her safe. She could still be hit whilst on the sidewalk or a building could crumble on top of her. We cannot stop fate when it has been set in motion, so all we must do is cherish each day we have and tell one another of our love every day." Taking deeper breaths, my mother finally conceded that she was being irrational and instead held me in her arms and told me to have courage, that Han was going to be alright and that everything will go back to normal soon. The hospital kept me in for another night for observation before releasing me though the police came to ask me questions about the accident, wanting to know what happened and why we were driving so recklessly so I told them as much of the truth as I could, that Han and I were being chased along with two of our crew by associates of the Yakuza because of a misunderstanding. When my mother learned that the Yakuza was involved, she became hysteric once more and anchored herself to my side even after I was released from hospital.

I had to get back to the shop, I had to find out where Sean and Neela were. Everyone needs to know about Han and most importantly of all, we needed to make sure that Takashi and his uncle were pacified unless we wanted them to come after us again. If they should learn that Han was still alive, I dreaded to think what Takashi would do. My parents wanted me to come back and stay with them for a while, insisting that I needed rest and time to heal. "You cannot do anything in your current condition Cora, you need time to heal and recover. You've undergone a lot of stress and grief and I will not allow you to put yourself in danger a second time. You are not to get involved!"

"Mom, I _have_ to go back right now. I can't tell you everything, but everyone else could be in danger and I have to make sure that they are all safe." Our argument got more heated, my mom and I shouting one another down until finally my father cut across us both with a heavy and firm voice.

"Enough." Both of us turned to look at him, his eyes boring into both of us deeply. "Cora. You are a grown woman and have the right to make your own choices." He began slowly, wheeling himself forwards until he was right in front of me so I lowered myself to my knees so that I was respectfully kneeling before him. "I am proud of all that you are and all that you have built for yourself. You have found balance and a family that extends beyond your mother and I." Lifting his hands, my dad took my face and lifted it so that we were gazing at one another. "If you must protect them, then fight for them fiercely no matter the cost. Family is strength, so do not forsake yours even if it means you must face impossible odds."

" _Hai Otōsan_." Softly I smiled to him, grateful that he understood why I had to do this. Kissing his cheek I thanked him for everything before doing the same for my mom who had to press her lips together tightly but nodded her head, letting me go freely. I went back to the shop where the police had already been however I could hear noises from inside so when I ducked under the tape, I took a moment to find that everyone had come back, including Sean. They were all gathered around one of the worktables, murmuring and discussing quietly however when Twinkie looked up and saw me, he immediately broke free.

"Cora!" Everyone spun around and with a mixture of voices calling my name everyone ran to me, giving me careful embraces and asking what had happened to me and Han whilst demanding to know if I was alright since my arm was in a sling and cast.

"It's alright, you don't need to be so alarmed." I told them all, giving a rather exhausted smile. "It's just a break and it'll heal in a few weeks so other than that I'm fine. Han on the other hand…well we're not quite sure yet. He's in a coma but for the moment, he's alive." Everyone exhaled collectively with relief, taking a moment to let the information sink in as Sean moved to stand in front of me.

"Cora I'm sorry, I…I thought Han was dead, we all thought Han was dead. It's all over the streets and nobody knew different. I should have come found you sooner, I should've…"

"It's alright Sean." I soothed him, placing my hand on his shoulder and reassuring him gently. "For now we will keep the word the same. No one besides us will know that Han's alive so keep it a secret. If anyone else finds out about Han, word could get back to Takashi and Kamata and we don't want that to happen." Immediately everyone promised and vowed to keep their mouths shut and I gave them all a hard glare before relaxing. "Alright. Tell me what I've missed and what you're all planning over there."

Sean and Twinkie filled me in on everything, including where Sean had taken all of Han's money from his side deals back to Kamata and bargained with him to race Takashi in order to settle things peacefully. It took me a few moments to think things over in my head, rationalising and logically trying to think of any other way things could have been done, but I too came to the conclusion that this was the only way and I gave Sean credit for going into a Yakuza den alone.

Since the authorities had seized all of Han's cars as evidence, including my brother's EVO, and had everything impounded for the time being until they had finished searching them for anything that could put Han in association with the Yakuza, all we had left was the beat up Silvia and Sean's father's nineteen sixty seven Ford Mustang which he had apparently found on his base in a neglected state of repair. I couldn't do much with my one hand so I handled things from the office, ordering in any parts that we needed and also trying to handle things with the police to get Han back his cars. Whilst the kids worked, I brought them food and gave them advice and directions when they needed it, sometimes verbally directing them when I couldn't make the alterations myself.

For the most part, however, they handled things which left me with more time to spend with Han at the hospital. His condition became more stable and he lived through the twenty four hours that the doctors feared he would not make through so they were now hopeful that he was out of danger, but that wasn't much comfort for me since I saw him every day but saw no change, no sign that he could hear me when I talked to him or that he had any intention of waking up soon. It was difficult and distressing, becoming more and more difficult to see him each time but every time I thought about not going I would berate myself for being weak minded and make myself go anyway. I can't leave him, even if he didn't move and couldn't even breathe without a machine helping him, I need to be near him because at the end of the day, I could still hear his pulse with every bleep of the monitor and for me, it was enough.


	14. Chapter 14

With the Mustang now ready for racing it was time for Sean to finally race Takashi. If he lost he would be forced to leave town and even though the kid had talent, I worried that the road they would be racing would be difficult for him to manage, especially in the dark. I wanted to be there to watch and to support him, however that very day I had received a call from the hospital telling me that Han's condition had worsened and that things were not improving so I had gone to see him and stayed there. I'd called up Sean to tell him what was going on and before I could even ask him what me wanted me to do, he told me to stay put.

"Han needs you right now more than I do. I'll call you after I won then you'll see everything will be alright. You can even tell Han all about it." He was a good kid. They all were. Our little crew really was one of a kind so as I sat with Han in the hospital, I waited for the call. It was Twinkie who called me first and before I had even put the phone to my ear he was yelling about Sean's victory, making me smile and feel a flood of relief to know that everything was okay. I got a full run of details of the race from Twinkie even as numerous other calls tried to get through to my phone, everyone trying to get through to me to tell me until finally they figured out Twinkie had got through and his phone was snatched from him, everyone shouting and raving in victory until finally Sean managed to grab hold of it.

"Cora you there? You hear?"

"I heard Sean. You did a great job and I'm very proud of you." I said to him calmly as I ran my thumb up and down Han's hand a little absently though it was a little awkward since the bulky cast got in the way. "And I'm sure Han would be to. Here, I'll put the phone to his ear so you can tell him yourself." Standing up I placed the phone next to Han's ear, leaning down to tell Sean that he was good to go before drawing back slightly, allowing Sean to say what he needed to say in private though close enough that I would be able to hear him call out to me.

He took a few minutes, telling Han about the race and thanking him for all that he had done and I smiled a little at that, hoping that Han was able to hear him and when Sean called for me, I pulled the phone back and lifted it to my own ear. "I'm here Sean."

"Alright, how is he? Is everything okay?"

"He's stable again now and things seem to be settling down a little. I'll stay here with him tonight so you all go out and celebrate. You'll find I put some money in the trunk of the Mustang for you. Seeing as I knew you would win, I figured a night out to celebrate would be exactly what you all needed. Just don't spend it all in one place."

"Holy…Cora that's a lot of money."

"Don't worry, it's from the shop's funds. I didn't think Han would mind for this one occasion. You have fun now, alright? Take care of Neela and please for the love of god keep an eye on Twinkie and do _not_ let him hold the cash, he'll lose it in an instant."

"You got it Cora, thank you. I'll be there in the morning to see you both. You sure you don't want me to come right now?" I assured him that I was fine and that if he didn't go out for some fun like I told him then I would just take the money off him. He hurriedly agreed to go and after a warning to behave and not go too wild, I hung up. I felt a calm serenity fill the air as I leaned back in my chair, relieved that we no longer had to worry about Kamata or Takashi who by agreement to the terms of the race should be leaving town soon. Looks like we've got a new Drift King.

"Hear that Han? That rookie cowboy you picked up has really made something of himself. Guess you were right all along. Should have known." I stayed with him all night and like he promised, Sean came in the morning to also sit with Han and he gave me more details on what had happened during the race. I was glad that things had worked out, however I was still concerned about Kamata as well as all the rest of Han's deal associates. Even though they all still thought he was dead, that didn't mean they were going to allow him off that easy. Dead or not, they would still want what was promised them and sure enough, they came to the shop looking either for their money or their goods.

Thankfully I was there when they came, the first group starting with their threats however when I tossed them a bag full of cash, they very quickly shut up. My arms were folded and as everyone stood behind me, I levelled my gaze at the thugs who were now busily counting the thick wads of cash. "Spread the word around." I told them firmly and as they all looked up, they balked slightly to see the sharp edge of my gaze. "Any business made with Han can be brought to Cora Masuda. I'll be handling his affairs from now on, so now that you got what Han owed you, get out." It was either my voice or the way I was looking at them, I'm not sure which but the moment I gave them the order to leave they all hurried away without question.

A few more came after that however I dealt with them all exactly the same way, refusing to bend to their will and kept up Han's end of their deals until finally it was over. The shop suffered a little as I had to use some of the money reserves just to bail us out of any trouble form Han's deals as well as pay the hospital bills and to get his cars back from impound, but we pushed through and once the shop was up and running again, the money started to flow in once more though things remained tight. I hadn't realised until now but without Han's side deals and slightly illegal activity, we did not have as much money coming into the shop as before.

It had been his criminal activity which had kept the place going at the start before it paid for itself but now that we were back to square one, things were a lot more difficult. We couldn't afford as many workers as before and had to let everyone except the original crew go and since some of them still had school, it left only a few of us to continue working throughout the day and I still wasn't able to do much because of the fact my arm was still in a cast. I refused to give in, however, finding ways of making it work even if I had to stay up late into the night working the accounts and moving money around in order to make things happen.

I collected in on debts owed to Han, making sure to get his money back and kept it aside ready for him when he woke up and did my absolute best to keep things running, even if it meant burning myself out. Every day I visited him, finally past the stage of grief and fear for losing him that I was able to see him and be optimistic of his recovery, telling him everything that was going on and keeping him up to date on the shop and the state of things even if he couldn't hear me. It helped to tell him, like I was sharing my troubles and concerns and it lightened the load for the time I was with him.

It was near two weeks since Sean had raced and at least things in the racing world were still normal. With Takashi gone, more people were racing as they weren't intimidated by him or his uncle, no longer fearing retribution should they cross him. I went a few times for the atmosphere and every time people would ask me to race them, some even outright challenged me but I just didn't have the heart for it. It was like that part of me was broken, left to collect dust out of neglect but I just couldn't bring myself to race whilst Han was in the state that he was. The accident had returned those old fears and it took no small amount of courage just to get into a car these days.

Despite being in a coma, at least he looked peaceful. Sitting with him I was working through the bills for the shop, trying to make ends meet when I sensed someone else in the room so I looked up. I hadn't heard the door open however when I saw a broad shouldered and tall man standing there, I initially tensed up and feared that Kamata had sent someone to 'take care' of things however when I saw the way the stranger was looking at Han, it suddenly dawned on me who this had to be. "You're Dominic Toretto." I recognised, putting down the folder and pushed aside the blazing red letters to stand up. "Han said you're family. How did you know he was here?"

"One of your crew contacted me directly, told me to come here. I already got a message that Han had been hurt." A deep and rather beautifully matured voice rumbled from the muscular chest of the westerner who turned to look at me with an initially intimidating gaze but after observing him for a few moments, I noticed the relaxed lines of his features and that his lips were turned upwards in a kind smile. "You have to be Cora Masuda. Han's told me everything about you. I'm glad to finally be meeting you, I'm only sorry it's like this."

"You came all this way to see Han?" Nodding his head Dominic slowly moved towards the hospital bed, a slightly harsher expression taking over and I could see the vein in his neck thicken as he clenched his fists. "They say that his chances at waking up aren't very high but it's still a possibility." I explained to him, wanting to try and give him a small degree of encouragement however when I looked again at his face, I could see that he was angry. Extremely angry. "You're not here just for Han, are you?"

"I got a call the night you and Han got hit. Someone was trying to kill him." My eyes widened instantly and I quickly looked at Han, fearful thoughts entering my head and I worried that perhaps I hadn't been able to reach all his contacts to pacify them, that maybe I had missed someone or Han had been hiding something from me all along. "This guy also put a good friend of mine in the hospital, tried to hurt my family." He said to me and my eyes widened in horrified shock. "So when I find him, I swear I'm gonna make him pay for this. I'm not going to stop until he's paid for all the hurt he's caused."

"You think he might come back? Who is he?"

"His name is Deckard Shaw. Did Han tell you about London?" Nodding my head Dominic's lips relaxed slightly and he gave a gentle indication of his head towards me. "This is the brother of the guy we brought down on the runway, seems like he's back to settle the score but don't worry, I don't think he'll come back. Not if they think Han is still dead." That brought me some comfort. The word on the street was that Han was still dead since none of the crew had spoken out about it. We had meant to keep it that way as a means to deter the Yakuza for a while, I hadn't realised that Han's death was the only thing keeping him alive from someone else. "What do people know?"

"Only our crew know about his condition. Everyone else thinks he was caught in the fire of the wreck and that only I had managed to get away in time." I relayed to him as I slowly reached out for the wall to lean into it, exhaling shakily. "I didn't know…though now that I think about it, that car…"

"What car?" Dominic's voice was firm however when I looked at him, his gaze was once again soft and I couldn't help but feel relaxed in his company. I knew he meant me no harm and that I was as safe with him as I was with Han.

"The car that hit us, I didn't really think about it before but with the road and how much distance there was between us when we were hit, there was more than enough time to stop. It didn't even try, it slammed right into us and kept on going. Could that have been intentional?" Dominic's jaw tightened as I tried to remember everything I could about the car, closing my eyes to picture it in my head through the glass of the window, past Han. "Silver Mercedes, sedan, could be a…I'm not sure, it hit pretty fast but…I think it was a…" I tried as hard as I could to place the model of the car but my memory from that night was shady at best.

"It's alright. It's something to go on and that's better than nothing." Dominic comforted me, placing his hand upon my back to reassure me. "The best thing to do right now is trust in Han to wake up when he's ready and leave everything else to me. I'll get the son of a bitch who hurt you both, you have my word." I was a little surprised that Dominic included me in that promise and when I looked at him quickly with a quirk of an eyebrow, a rather sweet smile came to his mouth. "You're Han's girl which makes you family, and nobody hurts my family. I'm glad he's found someone after all this time playing bachelor."

"Believe me, a lot of patience was involved." I said and Dominic laughed lightly at that, the smooth rumbling sound pleasant to the ear. "I knew how I felt about Han pretty soon after getting to know him, he took a little longer to come forward about it. We haven't even been together for all that long and now this has happened…I just want him back and I want him to be alright." Feeling the emotions well up inside me I felt my voice crack as I pressed my eyes shut, flinching slightly as I recalled the bright flash of headlights as they swallowed up the image of Han next to me before the violent jolt of being struck. "Just make sure that when you get the bastard who did this to him, you knock his teeth out."

"Now that I can promise. Han said you had a violent streak underneath, I can appreciate a woman willing to duke out her problems with someone." I tried to smile but I struggled, bowing my head as the pressure and strain of everything began to get to me. It was all too much in that moment and I think because Dominic was there, I allowed myself to let it all go. Murmuring softly he pulled me towards him and let me cry against him for a bit, rubbing a hand down my back whilst embracing me. He was tall and solid which was extremely encouraging considering how weak and vulnerable I felt in that moment without Han to hold onto. Dominic stayed holding me as long as I needed whilst looking over the top of my head to the open folder on the chair. "If you need anything, you just need to call. Anything at all."

"We'll be alright." I drew in a deep breath and recovered myself, pulling myself back together and silently berating myself for losing it. "Times are tough without Han handling things but we're managing. I'm not exactly sure how his world works since I never got involved, he always told me that it was dangerous unless you knew exactly what you were doing and didn't have the nerve to look someone in the eye when they were trying to run you down." Looking over to Han, I finally managed to smile. "He told me he didn't want me in that kind of world. Said he wanted me out of it so he knew I'd be alright."

"That's Han all over, but you don't strike me as somebody who backs down easily." Dominic said to me and my smile deepened slightly into a smirk, turning my head to look up at him once more. "I'll be around for a while. I'd appreciate somewhere to bunk if you've got a place going spare."

"For Han's family, we'll make room anytime even if we have to throw pillows and a mattress on the ground. You'll want to head to his shop for a place to stay, that's where some of the crew sleep if they don't have anywhere else to go or the kids need to get away from their folks for a while, though right now everyone will be at the races." Digging my hand into my pocket I brought up the text with the address and gave it to him. "You'll want to ask for Sean Boswell, the new Drift King. If you tell him that you know Han, he'll listen and probably race you if that's what you want. I think you should meet him."

"Thanks. I'm interested to see what Han saw in this kid." Dominic smirked warmly as he memorised the address before gently plucking my phone from my hand and put in his own contact details. "That's my number. You call me for anything. We take care of our own in this family."

"Then we'll be sure to take care of you. I'll show you around Tokyo tomorrow and anything else you want. If I can help, then I want to." Nodding his head Dominic shook my hand in farewell, gave one last look towards Han before leaving. It was only then I noticed how much presence Dominic Toretto carried with him as after he was gone the room suddenly felt very big and very empty despite the fact that Han and I were still there. Looking down at my phone I read the number that was newly added to my contacts and memorised it before sliding my phone back into my pocket.

I felt too contented to continue with the financing so I closed the folder and tucked it into my bag, ignoring it for the time being and instead brushed Han's hair away from his face, perching on the edge of his bed. "You were right about him Han, I do like him. He's a lot taller than I imagined and I didn't expect him to be so intense, but he's got a good heart just like you have. I'm glad you have someone like him to rely on. He came all the way out here just for you." Leaning over him slightly I brushed my fingers through his longish black hair, studying his face as the monitor continued to bleep. "He's going to take care of everything. He'll find the guy that tried to kill you and make sure it never happens again. You're gonna be alright, Han. You'll…you'll be alright."


	15. Chapter 15

When I got back to the shop I found Dominic had already made himself comfortable with a beer in one hand and an engine in front of him, he and Sean getting along like old friends as Dominic tweaked around and made adjustments like it was second nature to him. "Look who's back. Hey Cora, want a drink?"

"Sounds perfect, thanks kiddo." I smiled as I walked in from where I parked my brother's EVO, the car catching Dominic's eye so I gestured towards it. "Feel free to take a look. That one's all mine."

"I sure will." Dominic agreed, lifting his beer in salute so I inclined my head with a smile as I put the files away in the office then secured them, locking the cabinets and checking things over to finish for the night. Opening up the desk drawer I put away the various items laid out on the desk, pens, calculator and such and as I shifted aside a stack of papers, I saw the black handgun I had purchased underneath. I had bought it as a deterrent and to ward off any violent rival racers who weren't too happy about being beaten or having their money and cars taken off them and thus far it hadn't failed me. It wasn't even real, though no one else knew that.

Picking it up I observed it for a few moments, eyes flickering over it before I pulled back the trigger and a light sprung from the end of the barrel, the flame flickering softly so with a quiet chuckle to myself I put it away again, hoping to not need it again. Closing the office door behind me I locked it then tucked the keys into my pocket, accepting the beer Sean had grabbed for me as Twinkie called down, wanting some more work done on his car which he could now afford thanks to all his buying and selling.

"You got a nice car here. Sean mentioned it was your brother's?" Dominic said to me as I passed, already ordering people around to either go upstairs to socialise or clear out because the floor was out of bounds for partying.

"That's right. Built it up basically from four wheels and a frame. He won money through racing and every spare penny he got he saved up to buy the parts piece by piece." I explained lovingly as Dominic followed after me, noticing that I was still in work mode and so put down his drink to pick up a rather heavy box of spare rivets and screws to put them away where I pointed. "He was quite a racer, you know, I bet he would even give you a run for your money were he still here. Best straight track driver in Tokyo, his best streak was a hundred and four wins. No one's been able to beat that since."

"Sounds like quite a guy." Nodding my head in agreement I smiled to myself as I thought about Alex before continuing to clean up the shop ready for tomorrow, however when the noise from the club next door got a little too loud to focus I gave up on trying to concentrate on anything and settled for just relaxing a while. I had already found Dominic a bunk and he'd put his stuff down, though he hadn't come with much more than a single backpack which made me think that he didn't intend to stay for long.

With Dominic around a lot of the work got done much faster and we were able to reach our deadlines so that when owners came to collect their cars, the money went straight into buying things we desperately needed whilst also covering the bills for the hospital. One thing I did notice about Dominic, however, was that after meeting him at the hospital he now wore a silver cross and chain around his neck and when I asked him about it, he told me that Sean had recovered it from the car wreck and that it actually belonged to him. The news made me uneasy, my mind instantly thinking back to the driver of the Mercedes and how he must have left it there.

Just thinking about it made me angry so I pushed it to the back of my mind, quietly swearing that if I ever got my own hands on the guy who did this to Han I was going to choke him until he was blue in the face. "Hey Cora, this guy's been calling about his Hyundai for an hour now, keeps on asking when you'll be done with it?" Lifting my head towards Neela I thought for a second, glancing across to the car in question and winced.

"It needs at least another day in the shop to get everything he wanted on the list. Tell him he can come in and check on the work if he wants but schedule it tomorrow, we don't have room today." I told her and she nodded her head before ducking back into the office.

"You short on a few parts?" Dominic asked me gently and I exhaled.

"Just a few and I can't get hold of them without paying out extra for shipping. You'd think imported parts wouldn't be hard to come by in Japan of all places, right?" He gave me a thoughtful look, not answering for a few moments before he picked up his jacket.

"I'll be back with the parts by this evening."

"Wait, what?" Before I could ask him what the hell he meant he was gone, making me fret and worry about what he was planning on doing so I sent Sean with him to at least lend him a hand and watch his back. With Neela taking calls in the office everyone else was working their butts off with the extensive list of chores we needed to get through though I was still working one handed, my arm still healing from the collision though I had become more adept at using the one hand. We'd lost a lot of customers after crash since they thought Han was no longer around, though Sean was now getting a little bit of attention with his drifting skills despite being beaten by Dominic.

It was several hours later when I next lifted my head from my work, rubbing my sore neck and yawning slightly. "Hey." I greeted Neela as I went into the office, touching her shoulder and giving her a smile. "You can stop now for the night Neela, thank you for your help I really appreciate it."

"Anytime, it's not any trouble at all." She assured me sweetly, getting up and offering me the seat which I took so that I could fill in the log for today. "You want some coffee?"

"Hm please, coffee is exactly what I need right now." I agreed however before Neela had even turned for the door we both heard cars pull up outside rather aggressively. Looking towards the computer I pulled up the CCTV and my stomach plummeted when I saw it was Satoshi and his entire gang. "Stay here Neela, don't go out there until I come and get you, okay? Get under the desk and don't make a sound." Satoshi wouldn't be here for anything except trouble so the moment I had Neela crammed away and hidden as best I could I ripped open the top drawer and picked up my fake gun, stuffing it into the back of my jeans so that no one would see it.

"Masuda! Masuda!" Satoshi yelled repeatedly and the moment I came striding out the office he turned and smirked at me. "There you are Masuda, I don't like your customer service much, very slow."

"Get out of here Satoshi. You're not welcome here." I ordered him darkly as Twinkie slowly stepped back as I quietly waved him away, wanting him, Reiko and the others to get as far back as they could as a means to keep them out of danger. "So if you're here wanting repairs you can take your business elsewhere. We don't want any trouble."

"Trouble?" Satoshi repeated before dramatically looking around and pulling a face. "Seems to me like you're the one in trouble Masuda. This place is going under fast by word on the street and by the looks of things here I can see that the word is true. I heard your boyfriend got blown up in his own car after he crashed it. Perhaps you're the one who's carrying all the bad luck Masuda, and just being near you means trouble. First your old man gets crippled, your brother gets crushed and now Han? Tell me it's not all coincidence." My fingers clenched into angry fists but I forced myself to keep my anger in check, knowing that this was exactly what Satoshi wanted. "So this is how I see things. You've got no money, no boyfriend to protect you, a bunch of kids for a crew who won't do shit and no Yakuza wannabes around for you to snatch a gun from, so the way I see it, I can do whatever I like right now."

"I'd think again if I were you Satoshi. Han might not be here but never in my life have I needed protection from him or anyone else, for that matter. I will break you in half then smile over your grave." I spoke quietly, my voice full of venom as Satoshi's twisted smirk flickered slightly, rattled by my words before he recovered himself.

"Here's what's going to happen, Masuda." Satoshi informed me, slinking closer and my nose wrinkled in distaste at his sour smell, the scent of stale cigarettes making me want to gag. "I'm going to take back my EVO as well as all these pretty cars that you got lying around, then you're going to bring me all the cash you got on hand, tie it up with a ribbon and give it to me like a birthday present with a smile. Then once I got everything I want from around your shop, you're going to take me into the back there and give me a fun time otherwise I'll start taking what I want from your flesh with this knife here." The flash of metal caught my eye and I looked to the knife that Satoshi now brandished at me, pointing the sharp tip directly towards my throat before then using it to point to Twinkie and the others behind me. "And I'll take it from them too. Hope you like the colour red."

All at once my hand grabbed the gun from my waistline and levelled it at Satoshi's head, knowing that this was the only chance I had to frighten him off or at least keep him at bay until help could get here. Hopefully Twink and the others had already sent out word that we needed help, though except for Sean and Dominic, I wasn't certain who else would come. I was depending heavily on the ethic of the race track that everyone in that circle had one another's back, but Satoshi had a reputation of his own which meant that most people kept well out of his business. If anything he was worse than Takashi because if he wanted to, he would kill you for no reason at all.

The fake gun did its work, making Satoshi freeze and instantly step back as he stared at it, looking a little fearful for his life as my stone cold eyes continued to look at him with a calm deadness that unnerved him. "Easy now Masuda, let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"You have ten seconds to get to your cars and get out of here otherwise I will put a bullet between your eyes." Satoshi held up his hands slowly, watching the gun very carefully however with my attention solely fixed on Satoshi, I didn't notice anything else and I did not see when one of his followers reached Reiko by sneaking up behind her and grabbed her. Her scream made my head snap around, staring as I saw a knife go to her throat to hold her down as she started to cry but before I could do anything, Satoshi suddenly grabbed the gun from my hands and turned it on me.

"Not so cocky now are you Masuda?" My eyes narrowed further at him, my wrath now boiling under my skin as I faced Satoshi and his smirk of victory. "Take it all boys." There was a collective laugh and I stood perfectly still as the sound of things being toppled over and swept off worktables filled the air, Satoshi's gang rooting around to find anything of value including tools and parts.

"Okay, you win Satoshi." I began slowly, lifting one hand as gradually as I was able to, making a calming motion towards him. "You can have whatever you want, including me, just please let my crew go. Don't hurt them, just let them all walk out of here and then I'll…I'll do whatever you like." I bargained, knowing that this was all I had left to play. "Please." The crooked smile only grew more sickening as Satoshi lifted his chin towards me.

"See that would have been on the table a few minutes ago before you pulled the gun on me, Masuda, however now I feel like you really don't respect me and I don't appreciate that, so your crew isn't going anywhere. In fact, none of you are." Flexing his index finger around the trigger, I looked him dead in the eye as a rather sinister glint flickered in his gaze. "Goodbye Masuda, I'm sending you to join your dead boyfriend." With a single movement he pulled the trigger, expecting the sound of a gunshot and for me to drop to the floor however when all he heard was a click, he frowned.

The lazy flame flickered in front of me and I couldn't help but smirk a little in satisfaction as Satoshi pulled the gun back and stared at it, swearing in confusion. As I looked past him I saw movement, a broad and rather intimidating figure stepping into the shop carrying a very real and very loaded shotgun. "Guess things won't be going your way after all Satoshi." I said before jerking my chin towards Dominic Toretto who had his gun pointed directly at his back. "Turn around." Quickly spinning on the spot Dominic looked more terrifying than I would have believed possible.

"Trust me. This gun is real." Dominic spoke in a gravelly tone, eyes flickering to the guy still holding a knife to Reiko's throat. "Let her go." Immediately Reiko was released and she ran straight to me, still sobbing and I curled my hand around her head to draw her in and comfort her, still holding my unrelenting gaze at Satoshi as he looked back and forth between myself and Dominic, Sean also standing beside him with a wrench in his hand. "I suggest you boys get out of here before I sneeze or something. All this dust in the air, it sets off my allergies. I might _accidentally_ pull the trigger."

"This is none of your business, gaijin. Go back where you came from and stay there." Satoshi tried to order however Dominic was not threatened by the reedy scrap of a man Satoshi barely made. He was shaking as Dominic took a few slow and measured steps forwards, however as I passed Rieko into Earls' care I balled my fist and after tapping Satoshi on the shoulder, I swung my good arm with all my might as he turned and caught him in a strong uppercut. His feet flew up into the air as he landed on his back and instantly I dropped, pressing one knee down on his arm to secure him and the other into his throat so that he began to choke, struggling and writhing helplessly and when his followers tried to move forward to save him, Dominic lifted his gun to point at them, warning them off.

"If you _ever_ , show your face here again, I promise that next time I won't even give you a warning. I will kill you after breaking every bone in your body. Understand me?" Satoshi gurgled as I reached for his hand, fighting with him to pry one finger free before wrenching it unforgivingly at an angle it was not supposed to go, hearing a snapping sound and Satoshi shrieked as loudly as he could even as he started to turn purple. Looking him dead in the eye he stared at me in horrified fear as I broke another finger, making sure that he got the message. "The human body has a total of two hundred and six bones altogether, so imagine this but two hundred and four times more, and since some bones are large enough, I'll break them in more than one place. I reckon I can push three hundred breakages. Do you want to find out if I can do it?"

"N-No! No!" Satoshi wheezed, still trying to push my knee of his throat so after narrowing my eyes a little further, I pulled back from him and instantly he sucked in a deep gasp full of air, wheezing and coughing whilst simultaneously rolling around and crying out in pain as he cradled his broken fingers.

"All of you." I lifted my head and looked to the rest of Satoshi's gang. "Get out. Now! _Hayaku shite_." Telling them to hurry up abrasively they wasted no time in obeying. Two of them darted forwards and grabbed Satoshi as he continued to wail, scuttling past Sean and Dominic and when they all ripped away in their cars, I finally relaxed.

"Han wasn't kidding when he said you got balls. I never seen a man shake like that in front of a woman your size." Dominic said to me as he came inside, Sean rushing forwards and demanding to know if I was alright.

"I'm fine Sean, everything's alright now. You better go get Neela, I told her to hide in the office." Nodding his head Sean darted away to rescue Neela from under the desk whilst everyone else recovered. I balled my fist at my side and looked to the fake gun Satoshi had dropped, bending down to grab it however when I stood up, Dominic was standing in front of me.

"Smart, but you're going to need more than that to protect yourself from now on. Here." To my surprise Dominic took the lighter gun from me and handed me his shotgun instead, making my eyes widen.

"I can't take this Dom, I don't know how to use it or keep it clean or…is it even licensed?" I worried and flustered myself over the issue of actually having a real gun however Dominic just grinned at me a little wickedly, the wild streak in him showing through.

"If you can break two fingers on someone's hand without batting an eyelid, then you can handle a shotgun. I'll teach you, so don't worry about it and it'll make me feel better knowing you can take care of yourself and your crew." Dominic gave me a stern look, telling me that I had no choice in the matter so I begrudgingly accepted and thanked him for his consideration. The rest of my night was spent learning how to clean, maintain and load the shotgun as well as handle it, though things were a little difficult considering my cast. I could not wait to have this thing removed.

Dominic stayed for a few more days after that before having to leave, intending to hold a fake funeral for Han to try and draw out his intended killer, promising once more to find out who did this to Han and to make them pay and I responded with a promise to have his back whenever he called. "You need anything, Dom, anything at all, then you can call. Even if you got the hounds of hell on your heels, you got family here." I promised him and he'd smiled before giving me one last hug and even kissed the top of my head before he had to drive onto the ferry. Sean had come with us to say goodbye and I was glad for his company in the car as we drove back, too many thoughts in my head to be alone with.

"You think we gonna be okay now?" Sean questioned and I looked across to him whilst we waited at the lights.

"Sure thing kiddo. You kids are going to finish school and take the next big step in your life, whether that's college, travelling, or simply coming back to the shop to work towards whatever you want in life, then that's what's going to happen. Things are going to be just fine. I promise." I said to him and Sean looked at me for a while before chuckling.

"My mom's going to be coming over in a few weeks to check up on me. I'd like you to meet her, maybe after a talk with you she won't worry so much that it's only my dad watching out for me and keeping me out of trouble. I think you two would get along just fine." He said to me and I smiled warmly as I pulled forwards, joining the heavy flow of traffic back into the city.

"I'd be glad to meet her Sean. I'll tell her all about how you faced down a Yakuza boss and his nephew and walked away without a scratch."

"God no, she'd have my hide if she found out about that, she'd probably storm Kamata's place on her own and take them all out." He joked and I couldn't help but laugh at the idea, imagining Sean's mom beating Kamata around the head with her handbag whilst screaming at him. To keep the conversation going I asked him where his mother planned on staying and when he said he didn't know, I offered her a place with my parents so that she didn't have to step into a big and rather daunting city without a security blanket. "Thank you Cora, I really appreciate that. You always got my back, don't cha?"

"Han said that his crew is his family and I know he takes it seriously, so I'm taking it seriously too. Your family is ours which means when your mother comes, you bring her straight to me and I'll make sure she gets everything she needs, no questions asked. My parents won't mind one bit, so don't worry about that either." I asked a little more about his mother and it turned into a pleasant discussion which kept us going until we got back to the shop, everyone greeting us brightly and as Sean went directly to Neela to embrace and kiss her, I stopped to look over everyone with a silent pride. We'd grown closer since the collision. Everyone had pulled together and we were supporting one another in every way we could and it showed through our interactions.

The kids were up in the lounge working on their homework and studies so I climbed up to join them, Sean opening up his books and once I took a seat Twinkie immediately placed his work on my lap which I began to look over, everyone asking me questions and asking for help in their revision in order to do well in their exams. We ate takeout and joked together whilst working, food sometimes getting thrown at one another though Twinkie seemed to be the usual victim for saying something dumb or giving a very strongly worded opinion that not everybody agreed with, however it was all in good fun. Being there helped me not to worry so much about Han, relaxing in the company of these bright minded kids. We were family, and nothing was going to tear us apart.


	16. Chapter 16

Within a few weeks I received word from Dominic that he had found the person who had tried to kill Han and, as I later learned, sent a bomb to the Toretto home. Deckard Shaw. I burned that name into my mind so that whenever I closed my eyes I saw it, not allowing myself to forget it. When I sat and told Han that Dominic had kept his word, that Shaw wasn't going to come after him again, I had hoped that he would wake up or at least make some kind of movement, but still there was nothing. It was disheartening but I refused to give up, instead relaying to him all the details of the chase across the world that Dom's team had taken in order to catch Shaw as well as everything else I knew about their operation.

For a bunch of people who used to steal things for a living, I chuckled a little thinking how much good they were doing, working to help save the world and such. "We're in the clear now Han. All that's left is for you to wake up, so make sure you stop dreaming soon, alright?" With a kiss to his forehead in farewell, I left to get back to the shop and continue working. The cast on my arm was finally off though I had to be careful with it as I had lost a lot of muscle tone due to lack of usage and it was still a little sore sometimes, but otherwise I was okay. Even the scratches and grazes on my face and body had healed up so all evidence of the collision were now gone.

After another week, Miss Boswell reached Tokyo and Sean picked her up from the airport before bringing her back to the shop in order to meet everyone. My father was there as well, helping with things from his wheelchair and I enjoyed spending time with him like we used to, fixing up cars and making improvements or alterations as they were needed before allowing their owners to come and collect them. When Sean's mother arrived I immediately excused myself to my father and hurriedly washed my hands to clean them, not wanting to greet her covered in oil and once they were presentable, I walked towards Sean's car as he opened the door to let my mother out. "Miss Boswell, welcome to Tokyo. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, your son speaks of you often." I greeted, bowing first before holding out my hand as she blinked at me in surprise.

"Oh my, how kind of you. Please, call me Sherry, its short for Sheryl." She smiled nervously as she shook my hand with red painted nails, looking around her in wonder. "Is this the shop that Sean talks about? I thought it was owned by a man." I stiffened slightly and Sean flinched noticeably.

"Mom…" He began however I lifted my hand and gave him a smile, assuring him it was alright just as my father appeared, wheeling himself forwards and Sheryl asked if he was Han.

"No, no, I am Cora's father. Pleased to meet you." He greeted before introducing himself by name and Sheryl apologised for her mistake, her fast paced American accent catching everyone's attention so we all introduced ourselves, though she took particular interest in Neela who introduced herself as Sean's girlfriend. Sheryl was a lovely and vibrant woman though she had a slightly nervous edge to her which slowly settled the more comfortable she became with her surroundings and the strangers who became gradually more familiar. She smoked a lot but politely smoked outside without even needing to ask so I kept her company, answering any of her questions and telling her about how Sean was getting along.

"I'll admit, I'm surprised to see him like this. He sure is different to how he was when he left. You know I worried that I did the wrong thing sending him away, but in the end I had no choice. I couldn't let him go to jail, it would only make life harder for him. I'm glad he's found friends here and you seem like the responsible kind of gal, it's a relief knowing that he's got people like you watching out for him." She said to me after her second cigarette, blowing the smoke upwards into the air as not to let it drift towards me.

"He has a way of finding trouble without even meaning to, but he also takes responsibility for any trouble he causes. He's a good man, Miss Boswell, you should be proud of him." Smiling proudly, Sheryl nodded her head.

"I am and please, call me Sherry. I insist." Returning in kind that she could call me Cora, she finished her cigarette then went back inside whereby I had Sean put her luggage into the back of my car so that I could take her and my father home for the night. I stayed home that evening, having dinner with my parents, Sean's mother, Neela and Sean who came after us. Sheryl took great interest in our culture and asked many questions on proper etiquette and things like that which my father seemed to appreciate and approve of as my mother instructed her on how to use chopsticks, the six of us laughing with her as we all chipped in and tried to help until she started to get the hang of it.

Sheryl took my old room as it was private and spacious enough that she would feel comfortable so once she was settled in, Sean and Neela left after saying goodnight and I slept on a tatami in the front room until I awoke in the morning. I was awake before anyone else so I freshened myself up then started on breakfast, going out to buy fruit as fresh as I could get and bringing it back so that we could offer Sheryl whatever she liked and after my parents had woken up and come out to join me, Sheryl sheepishly poked her head out of her room. "Good morning, is it alright if I join you?"

"Yes, yes, come! Come and eat, you must be hungry." My father insisted kindly and my mother smiled her warm and welcoming smile.

"Don't be shy, Ms Boswell, our home is yours so please do not stand on ceremony. Cora has brought fresh fruit and your son told us a few things you liked to eat, so please enjoy."

"My, I feel so embarrassed, you didn't have to do so much, really, this is so kind of y'all." Sheryl said as she came to the table and sat down to join us. "Sean told me what wonderful people y'all were, thank you very much for your hospitality." Promising that it was no trouble at all we all had breakfast together and Sheryl insisted on doing the dishes, over which she and my mother bonded together. Dad and I grinned at one another so once I was ready to get to the shop and start work, I kissed his cheek and then my mother's before offering Sheryl a ride over which she accepted gratefully.

Sean was ready and waiting when we arrived, smiling as he hugged his mother and kissed her cheek. "I hope you slept well because we got a lot of things planned for you today. You ready to see Tokyo?" He asked and Sheryl grew brighter with excitement as Sean placed his arm around her and Neela, leading them over to his car so I called after him, reminding him that he had passengers in his car so to go at the speed limits. He tossed back a broad grin, promising to be extra careful before opening the door for his mother and Neela, letting them climb in before he drove off.

"You sure they gonna be okay with Sean driving? Sometimes he drifts without even thinking about it, might give his mom a heart attack." Twinkie said to me however I waved it off.

"Neela will keep him in check, don't you worry Twink. Now don't you have that math test to be studying for?" Twinkie groaned in agonised pain at being reminded about his test this coming Monday, declaring that he wanted the ground to just swallow him up so with a laugh, I started to tutor him whilst working, giving him equations based around things he did understand which mainly meant cars. It worked and with a little nudge here and there, Twinkie was working through the entire book like he had been already born with the knowledge.

The day continued on and when Sean came back with his mother and Neela, she was carrying several bags full of shopping and souvenirs, taking a seat upstairs in the lounge and listing off everything she had seen and telling me how she thought Tokyo was a wonderful place so I gave a few suggestions of my own of places she should visit whilst she was here, including places outside of the city like hot springs and traditional shrines. She was rather taken with the idea so I scheduled some time off to escort her. Things were beginning to fall back into a routine and by the end of Sheryl's visit, she was already planning her next trip, kissing Sean repeatedly as she tearfully said goodbye before then thanking me repeatedly for mine and my parents' hospitality and offering the same should I ever find myself in town.

Sean got a little emotional saying goodbye though he did his best to hide it so without a word I patted his back, giving him a smile of understanding before giving him a minute alone with Neela. When we got home, things naturally fell back into place. Our days fell into a routine, one that perfectly kept our lives running smooth as silk and after the kids all graduated with good grades, I couldn't have been happier for them, smiling as I welcomed them back to the shop with myself and the rest of the crew having thrown together a little celebration for them, Sean's dad also being there to proudly embrace his son. It was a good time and everyone was laughing together, congratulating one another on making it into the big world all in one piece. I was proud of them, but they still had a long way to go. After all, there was still a life time of choices and opportunities awaiting them.


	17. Chapter 17

"Twinkie for the last time, if you're done using something, put it _back_ where you _found_ it." I yelled up to him in the lounge as I waved a spanner at him. "I'm not your mother so I should not be picking up after you!"

"You act like my mother woman, only you can yell louder than she can!" He answered back with a grin as I placed my hands on my hips.

"Don't make me come up there." The others laughed as I listed of various threats and warnings until Twinkie hurriedly came rushing down the ladder and jumped to clean up his station with my hawk eyes watching him carefully, holding out the spanner which he reverently took and rushed to put back on the wall. Satisfied that he got the message, I turned around in order to start sweeping the floors however when I heard my name being shouted from the office, I looked up to Neela who was a little pale in the face.

"Cora, it's the hospital." My blood froze in place, an instant panic taking over me. "They said Han's awake." For a moment the words didn't translate in my head, everyone halting and staring at Neela who nodded her head in confirmation. All at once everyone rushed into motion, Sean hurriedly placing his arm around me to grasp me by my arms and steer me towards his car with Neela jumping into the back, everyone running for their cars and Twinkie only just thinking to lock up behind us as we all made a beeline for the hospital.

I was silent all the way, still overcome with shock and dared not allow myself to actually hope that this meant that Han was going to be okay. What if by the time we get there, he's fallen asleep again? It would almost be a sick joke, so I pushed the thought to the back of my mind and settled for simply being thunderstruck. The drive seemed to take a millennia, every traffic light and stop sign forcing us to take even longer to reach Han until finally we were there. By this point I had woken up a little and I quickly flung open the door to rush inside, not even stopping at reception but simply bolted straight for Han's room as everyone else followed behind.

We were a large group so as we approached the door we were stopped by a nurse, telling us that we couldn't all go in at once. "We're family, we're all family." I spluttered, stammering slightly as I just stared at the door. "Please, we have to see him. We have to see he's awake."

"Maybe you should go in alone Cora." Twinkie suggested, making everyone pause and look at him, including me. "You should go in first. It's alright, we'll be waiting right out here."

"Yes, you go in Cora, you should." Neela agreed and everyone began to chime in with agreement so with a smile, the nurse nodded her head and stepped back to let me through. My throat having swelled shut from my emotions, I gave them all a tearful smile before turning to the door. The nurse opened it for me and pushed it open to let me through so with a deep breath I stepped inside, looking straight to the bed where I saw Han.

He was propped up on his pillows and his eyes were closed, no longer on life support as the tubes and mask were gone from his face and the monitor was completely blank so for a moment, I feared that it meant that they had been mistaken and that instead of waking up, Han had died whilst in his coma. As I continued to slowly step inside the door swung shut behind me and when it gave a light thud, Han stirred and his eyes opened against the light. My heart gave a painful twist when I saw him move, staring as he turned his head towards me and once he saw who I was, he sat up. "Cora." With one single word I broke to pieces.

Hot tears spilled down my cheeks and I choked on a sob, pressing a hand to my face as I stumbled forwards towards Han, too overcome to be able to think or do anything except go to him and when his arms came around me he pulled me into him and held me close, exhaling shakily as he too struggled to hold back his own tears. "Cora…you didn't give up on me. You stayed for me."

"I-Idiot. _Baka, baka,_ that's all you can say? Four months in a coma and you think I'd leave you for something like that? Don't think like that, Han, don't you ever think that I would leave you when you need me most. I said I'd always have your back and I meant it. _Baka_." I underlined once more, sobbing into him as he gripped onto me tightly, fisting his fingers into my hair and rocking with me slightly.

" _Ai shiteru_." He whispered and the words instantly made me stop, shocking me out of my frantic state. " _Cora ai shiteru,_ I love you." In Japan, we did not say 'I love you' lightly, we had many different ways of saying this phrase and each phrase had a different level of deepness for the feeling, however Han's words, they were serious. They were deep and extremely heartfelt and I knew that he knew it, which only made me more astounded that he would say it to me. As I drew back and stared at him he grasped my face and looked at me with a fierceness that made me quiver inside. "I mean it. I love you." I laughed a single laugh, smile breaking across my face as I pressed my eyes shut and revelled in the words whilst Han brushed away the tears with his thumbs, whispering softly to me to tell me that everything was alright before reaching forwards and pressing a kiss to my lips.

He was warm and real, soft to the touch and very much alive. Everything about him seemed to fill me with a warmth I had been missing all these months, bringing me back to life along with him as I gripped onto him for all I was worth after he broke from our kiss so that we could both breathe having lost all air between us. " _Ai shiteru yo._ " I responded quietly, closing my eyes as I spoke before then looking Han directly in the eye. "It's about time you stopped dreaming." A bright smile touched his face as he pushed back my hair and settled his other hand at my waist, kissing me again before trailing his lips down my neck.

"I dreamed only of you."

"Smartass." He chuckled at that and I leaned into him, wrapping my arms around his neck before I reminded him that we were still in the hospital and everyone else was outside waiting to see him. "It's alright, I'm not going anywhere." I promised him as he rested back against his pillows and laced his fingers through mine when I had tried to draw back. "But they've been worried about you too and I can't keep you to myself forever."

"You can if I say so." He offered so I laughed again and pressed a kiss to his cheek, giving his hand a squeeze before going over to the door and opening it, inviting the others inside quickly before the nurse could catch us. Everyone piled in and immediately swarmed Han, welcoming him back to life and everyone chattering all at once so I quickly barked for them to keep the noise down and not overwhelm Han so they quickly calmed down. "You all look worse than I do. What the hell's been going on?" He questioned, seeing everyone's tearful and relieved expressions now overweighed with exhaustion.

"Since you been in here, we've been trying to keep things running with the shop but you see, you had a lot of unfinished business that you left behind." Twinkie started to explain however Neela dug her elbow into his ribs to shut him up. "I mean…it's nothing Han. Glad you're back."

"Were you able to hear us whilst you were asleep? We told you everything that was going on, didn't want you out of the loop." Sean questioned however Han had no recollection of anything, remembering everything up until the collision so everybody had a great time telling Han all about the race with Takashi, Dominic's visit and how he had chased down Shaw who had tried to kill Han who looked to me in alarm.

"The crash was intentional? Are you alright?"

"It wasn't me he was after Han, I was just collateral damage so don't worry. I'm fine." I soothed him, sinking down onto the edge of the bed however Han instantly wrapped his arms around me to draw me into him, not letting me move more than an inch from his side as he scanned my face searching for answers. "Everything's settled now. Shaw's been locked up and we've been keeping things running for you as best we can. Sean's been helping out by racing for cash and brought in a tidy sum every now and then. You sure know how to spot talent."

"Spotted you, didn't I?" Everyone oohed and awed at his sweet talking however I just rolled my eyes, pretending to brush it off but Han just smirked at me knowingly. By that point the nurse returned and quickly had everyone back outside, telling us off for all coming in at once and saying that we'll have to wait outside until all check ups were complete so I unwillingly got up though Han tugged on my arm to pull me back to him. "I know you're not telling me everything."

"Later." I promised, kissing him swiftly until the nurse swatted me away and I was forced to leave. Everyone else hung out in the waiting room, the girls going to find coffee whilst I went outside to find somewhere quiet and good reception so that I could call Dominic. I listened to the phone ring a few times until finally he picked up.

"Cora?"

"Dom it's Han. He's awake." I finally breathed out, my pulse still rocketing wildly in my veins as I felt my knees grow weak so I sat down. "He's alive, breathing and awake. The doctors are checking up on him now but he's going to be okay. He's just like his old self."

"I'm glad to hear it Cora. You tell Han that if he's not here to see us by next week I'm coming to get him. You also tell him that if he doesn't bring you, I'll make him swim back to go get you." Dominic told me and I laughed out loud as he murmured something to someone else who was there with him. "How you holding up Cora? Any trouble swing your way since I left?"

"Nothing at all Dom so don't worry about it and I'm doing fine and now that Han's awake, I couldn't be happier." I could almost hear Dominic smiling as we talked and I promised to let him know when Han was released from the hospital and have him call to check in. When I went back to the others Neela handed me a coffee and I almost drained it in one go, still shaking slightly from the sudden relief of Han being okay.

The check ups and tests seemed to take forever however when we were finally allowed back in to see Han in smaller groups, the doctor informed me that he had made a good recovery and there were no signs of any underlying issues. He would make a full recovery, like nothing had ever happened. Before I knew it Han was being released from the hospital and came home. Everyone was glad to have him back, welcoming him home at the shop and that same night, at the races, he rolled up in one of his seemingly endless expensive cars, making everyone stare as he got out before he spread his arms with a smirk and everyone flocked to him with shrieks, demanding to know what happened and completely freaking out that he was alive.

I sat comfortably on the roof of my brother's EVO, smiling as I watched everyone fly to Han's side with many tears from the girls who fawned over him like he were their hero. "Don't that bother you?" Sean asked me, leaning against my car to keep me company as he inclined his head towards where two girls were pecking at Han's face with their lips as he embraced several of his friends. "Them girls seem to be introducing themselves very intimately."

"Doesn't matter what they do, Han's mine and that's not going to change over a few wishful chicks." I responded to him calmly, unfazed and unbothered. "I'll let them know if they get a little too close for comfort but Han can take care of himself." This made Sean chuckle a little and as the crowds began to break away from Han, demanding that he race to celebrate his return, the organiser yelled above the endless voices, demanding to know who would take up the challenge. Feeling coolly collected and strangely confident, I stood up on my car and cupped my fingers to my lips to give a sharp and powerful whistle, turning all eyes to me as I stood taller than anyone else on top of my car.

"I'll race if Han does." A huge gasp shook the crowd before everything burst into life once more. Mine and Han's name were being chanted over and over again and as I caught Han's eye, he smirked and winked at me before nodding his head, lips moving as he spoke to the organiser to say that he accepted.

"Oh boy, this is gonna be good." Sean grinned as he lifted up his hands and helped me down from the EVO. "I don't even know who to bet on."

"Then take my advice and keep your money. This is going to be both interesting and unpredictable, so just enjoy the show." I told him with a warm smile as I got into the car and drove forwards, Han doing the same and as we pulled up to the starting line, side by side, I rolled down the window so that I could hear Han as he leaned across.

"So what are we racing for?" He asked me and I considered for a moment, wondering what would be worth the race but came up short.

"How about you pick the terms? If you win, what do you want?"

"If I win?" He repeated, thinking for a moment before smirking again. "If I win, then you have to wear a dress on our next date." Pursing my lips I considered his bargain before reasoning that it was simple enough and could be worse.

"Alright. In that case if I win then you have to pay me back for the four months hard labour I worked without pay. Take that as you will, Han Lue." I returned and he immediately agreed, the both of us unable to stop our smirks as we turned our faces ahead and focused on the road. Neela came forwards to count us down, making sure we were ready before finally dropping her arms. Instantly Han and I both raced forwards, everyone cheering, screaming and yelling as they captured the race on their phones. We were exactly neck and neck as we came up to the first corner so I steeled my resolve and took it at speed, ignoring all my warnings and drifted around the corner, gliding in neutral before going into reverse as I spun the wheel and the moment I straightened up I shot backwards, twisting back in my seat to watch where I was going and took the next corner in reverse as well.

The race was thrilling as Han and I shot out onto the open roads, taking the long circuit and I very quickly learned that Han did not intend to go easy on me, then again, I had no intention in doing so for him either. As we drifted he took the lead, effortlessly gliding despite having been stuck on a hospital bed for months and I couldn't help but simply watch him drive, not particularly caring if I won or lost because I was racing with Han and to me, that was all that mattered and it was very much worth it.

Upon the largest corner we drifted and came out side by side, evenly matched however I streaked ahead with a burst of speed, wheeling the car around to reverse directly in front of Han and as the lights lit up our faces, I watched as he touched two fingers to his lips and then offer them to me. With a laugh I turned to look out the back window, timing my moment to take the next corner and used it to keep Han from overtaking, keeping ahead of him for a good portion of the race until the last hurdle whereby he suddenly came up beside me, the final straight being clear and open as we then turned back into the multi-storey parking lot, Han on one side and me on the other as we passed under the raised barriers and split off, both of us going in opposite directions to spiral up to the top, meeting on the highest floor where we both turned into one another and made a beeline for the finish line, me still in reverse however as we crossed it, I couldn't quite tell who'd made it there first.

I hit the brakes and swung the car back around, tyres screeching before I put it in neutral and pulled up the handbrake. For a moment I sat there, feeling the rush slowly die down before I got out the car and stood up, looking towards the organiser who was looking at someone's laptop, re-watching the end. Had it been that close? "Hey." Han murmured softly as he stopped in front of me, naturally taking my waist in his hands and pulling me towards him. "Still got your moves."

"Still got yours." I retuned easily, gazing up into his face whilst everyone else demanded to know who the winner was until finally the organiser called for silence. To my surprise, he called it a draw, unable to discern who had actually crossed the line first even with all the video recordings. "Huh, well I did not see that one coming. Guess we're equal when it comes to racing."

"This time maybe. Give me a few days then we'll see." Han challenged however I only chuckled as he ducked his head towards my neck and paid tender attention to the delicate skin there.

"Now that's fighting talk Han, be careful. Since we both won we both earn our prizes, you owe me four months' worth of wages. Sexual favours do not count."

"Are you sure about that?" Biting down on my smile I pushed Han back playfully with my hand against his chest, giving him a playful look as everyone else either ignored us and danced around to the music that was playing or keenly watched our interaction with great interest.

"Absolutely." Giving him a sassy wink I turned and sashayed back to my car, allowing the engine to rev as I drove away to park it back with the others, joining everyone else as the next set of races took place. Han was kept busy for the rest of the night with people wanting to talk to him and get the story from him in person though he kept the details minimalistic. In the end he was pulled away to go to a club and when Neela asked if I wanted to go with them, I surprised them all by saying yes. Twinkie just stared at me blankly before asking if I was feeling alright. "I'm fine Twinkie. You all go ahead, I'll follow in a short while." I promised them.

"Okay, don't bail on us though, you've already agreed!" Reiko reminded me, jumping up and down with excitement so I promised that I would stop by. Getting into my car, a decision had already been made so I drove into the shopping district and thanked god for twenty four hour shops. Since I'd already surprised people tonight, I figured going the extra mile wouldn't hurt so after quickly selecting a dress, I bought it then got changed, putting on a pair of heels as well. It felt strange to wear a dress for the first time since…ever, but after I had got used to it, I found it rather comfortable.

I had chosen something simple but suitable for a club, letting down my hair and fluffing it up a little just for good measure. It was plain black and stretchy, shaping to my body perfectly and showed off my rather shapely legs and accentuated my curves which I was rather surprised to see looked rather good in this dress. There were slim straps holding the dress up with two rather sensuous slits at the front right underneath my chest which filled out the dress just like the rest of my curves, fitting it perfectly without being oversized. My shoes were also black though they sparkled every time I moved my feet, the simple platform stilettoes at first a challenge but after figuring out the knack I very quickly adjusted. I had practised a few times in the changing room walking around and now I was confident that I could walk and not fall over. With a few spare hair slides I pulled back the crown of my hair and declared myself fit for the club, though I didn't intend to stay long, simply stake my claim on what was mine.

All I had to do was give my name and show some ID and I was allowed inside, the others having notified the bouncers that I was part of their party and when I walked inside, I found the club to be rather similar to the one next door though it was much nicer with private booths, glittery drapes and lights which shone through the haze of smoke to turn the wispy clouds different colours as people danced on the floor. Blocking everything out I placed my hand on the bannister to help keep me balanced as I descended, taking the steps carefully and one at a time as I found Han within the crowd.

He was sitting at the edge of the dance floor with a group of acquaintances and friends so once I was on the ground I made my way towards him, however when people started to recognise me they parted, staring at me in shock and more than a few men looked me over up and down. When I reached Han his eyes fixated on me then did not look away, drinking me in as I came to a stop then beckoned him towards me, lifting my face rather proudly as he answered without question, obeying like he were trapped under my enchantment and could do nothing else.

Now feeling extremely exposed and more than a little embarrassed, I pulled Han closer towards me so that I could hide my face against him. "A deal's a deal." I spoke into his ear so he could clearly hear me. "I am wearing a dress, just like you asked."

"And you said you felt intimidated by those other girls. They should be the ones watching out for you, Cora." He answered me with a soft purring tone to his voice as his hands began to move my hips to the music, dancing with me as I laced my arms around his neck and let him take the lead. "But it doesn't matter what you wear, I'll always think you're beautiful." His words were sweet and made me relax into the dress further, not caring what I looked like so I grasped Han with a fistful of fabric then pulled him towards me so that I could claim his lips with my own.

I heard and sensed several gasps around us as Han initially balked in surprise before eagerly answering. A rather large sense of satisfaction and smug pride swelled up inside me as I then drew back, giving him a look that said it all as he arched an eyebrow. "What was that about?"

"Just staking a claim on what's mine, and making sure everybody else knows it." I told him honestly, turning my head and looking across to a bunch of bikini body girls who were pouting at me accusingly and Han followed my line of sight before understanding. Okay, so maybe the way so many women took to Han bothered me a little bit, but now that I've very clearly stated that Han was mine and they couldn't have him, I was satisfied. "I'll see you back at the shop Han, so you have fun here, okay?" Reaching up I kissed him again however he hummed, gripping my shoulders to make me stay.

"You're leaving?"

"I've had my second dramatic moment for the evening so I'm satisfied. I'll wait up for you." However Han didn't seem interested in the club anymore, asking me to wait for just one moment whereby he went back to the others, handed the keys to his car over to Reiko to bring it back for him before returning to me, shrugging out of his jacket. He tenderly placed it over my shoulders then wrapped his arm around me, inclining his head to say that we would leave together. The loud blaring of the music making it difficult to properly so once we were outside I touched his arm. "You don't have to leave if you don't want to Han, I didn't mean to…"

"I know." Han cut me off gently, ducking his head to kiss my hair. "But you're wearing a dress and the deal was you wore one on our next date, so that's what we're going to do. Have a date." I loved him more and more. I let him take the keys so that he could drive us to a late night restaurant and although I was incredibly overdressed for soba noodles and ramen, neither of us cared much as Han made me tell him everything that happened since he lost consciousness in great detail, including what had happened with his deals and all the trouble that kicked up afterwards. He listened as he ate, not saying a word as I listed off everything I could remember passively, pausing every now and then to eat some more.

"After Dominic left things picked up again and once I got the cast off my arm, I was able to work too and that helped to speed things up a little. Everything is recorded in the daily logbook back at the shop so I can show you when we get back, it's got details of all transactions, deals and everything you'll need to know. I thought you would want to know everything after you woke up, so I started the logbook to keep track of everything."

"Cora." Han whispered my name almost reverently, reaching across our small table to place his hand over mine and I blinked, looking down to how his fingers tenderly caressed my own before looking up into his softened gaze. "What _else_ happened? Twinkie let slip something about Satoshi. What did he do?" With I sigh I reluctantly told him about Satoshi showing up to try and take back my brother's car and steal everything from the shop and for a moment, a dark cloud of anger passed through Han until I calmed him down, assuring him that Dom and Sean got back before anything serious happened and Dom's shotgun had done most of the talking.

"Though I did punch Satoshi and break two of his fingers, so I'm fairly sure he's not coming anywhere near me anytime soon." Slowly relaxing Han expelled his rage with a cleansing breath, his cracking knuckles gradually flattening against the table as I pacified him.

"He's not going to be able to get close to you ever again. I won't allow it." He muttered darkly so I smiled.

"It's not your fault Han, I know that face. You can't blame yourself for any of this so don't even try. Come on, this is supposed to be a date, right? Can we talk about this another time?" A slightly sinister smile flickered across his face as Han hummed in amusement, glaring into the distance for a moment.

"If I hadn't messed up with Takashi, none of this would have happened."

"That's not true. If things hadn't gone the way they had, then Shaw might have simply put a bullet in your head instead of trying to crush you to death with your car. As horrible as it sounds, this was the best way things would have gone and in some ways, it's a miracle that you're alive." Reaching up I grasped his chin in a firm grip and turned his face to look at me, making sure that I had his full attention. "I almost lost you, Han. Several times you flat lined and even when Sean and I pulled you out of the wreck, you weren't breathing. For me, seeing you sitting across from me awake, breathing and eating is more than I could have ever hoped for so don't get caught up thinking about what's past. I am wearing a dress for quite possibly the first time in my life so I would like for you to just sit there and admire me, if you don't mind." I teased him playfully as I kicked him under the table and finally he broke free of that brooding expression to give a laugh.

"Yes ma'am." We left things there for the time being, moving onto different topics and I brought up the fact that Dominic wanted Han to go see him and Han immediately offered to take me with him. The thought of travel excited me and I think it must have shown in my face because Han watched me with a soft smile as I asked if it really was okay to go with him. "Sure, I want the guys to all meet you, plus it's about time you saw a little more of the world. Tokyo has its charms but there's way more out there to see." Animated by the thought of being able to get on a plane and travel to a new place I started to make plans in my head, though I mentioned that we would have to wait until I could actually get a passport since I didn't have one at the moment. "That's okay, we've got time." I was glad that I could agree with him. Now that Han was better, we had more time to spend with each other.

After food Han and I took a drive just the two of us and although the dress provided little warmth, Han's jacket more than made up for it. After calling it a night we went back to his place for a few drinks and made up for lost time, neither of us sleeping at all even after the sunlight crept in through the curtains, the two of us lying face to face with our fingers entwined. I could feel Han's gaze on me so I smiled and looked at him, shifting to get more comfortable with my head resting against the pillow. "What?"

"You're beautiful."

"So you've said." I replied quietly, lifting my arm to drape it over him and run my fingers down his bare back.

"I love you."

"You've said that too." Cracking a smirk Han lifted his head to kiss me, becoming my entire world as my senses were overcome with everything to do with him. Sight, taste, touch, smell, it all centred around him.

"You're one of a kind." This time I kissed him first, rolling him onto his back as I deftly brushed my fingers through his hair to move the inky locks away from his face before drawing back to look down on him directly, smiling at him with all the warmth and devotion I had to offer.

"I know."

 _Baka -_ Idiot

 _Ai shiteru -_ I love you (serious)


	18. Chapter 18

Being on a plane for the first time was an interesting experience and I have to say I enjoyed the views from several thousand feet up in the air, though mostly it had just been ocean and it got dark pretty quickly, however when we landed it was early morning and there was a distinct freshness to the air as we stepped off together. Han naturally curled his arm around me, walking with me to the baggage claim so we could grab our bags. "You nervous?"

"A little." I admitted, glancing around to see all these Americans around me, all of them tanned and talking in fast paced accents. I'm glad my English was pretty much perfect otherwise this would be even more intimidating. "But I'm excited more than anything. You sure it was okay for me to come with you?"

"You worry too much." Han said with a smile, leaning across to kiss my head before finally we spotted our bags. He grabbed mine first then his, allowing us to head out of the airport to where a car waited outside, familiar but more so, the person leaning against it. He was broad and imposing, however when he caught sight of us his eyes softened into a distinct warmth which welcomed you in.

"Look who it is." Dominic said slowly as he stood up, coming forwards to face Han. "Looks like Sleeping Beauty finally decided to show up."

"Hey Dom." Han grinned as the two of them clapped one another on the shoulders before embracing, words flitting between them before Han moved aside and Dom then turned to me with equal enthusiasm.

"Welcome to California. Hope you're not washed out from your flight over because we got a barbeque going and a lot of people waiting to see you both." He said to me as he gave me a gentle hug then kissed my cheek affectionately as I smiled.

"It's good to see you again Dom, thank you for the invitation." The guys put the luggage in the back and Han insisted I ride in front, knowing I would be more comfortable there. At first I was a little anxious to be in such a powerful car where neither Han nor me was the driver, however Dominic seemed to pick up on my discomfort and gave me reassurance as he started her up.

"Don't worry, she runs smooth as silk when cruising. It's good to get a little taste of real American muscle every once in a while." Nodding my head I took a deep breath to calm down then allowed myself to trust Dominic who, like he promised, drove considerately all the way to his house which was in a quiet little neighbourhood and all the way there I had looked out the window, marvelling at the difference between Los Angeles and Tokyo. It felt more spacious here and the sky wasn't overshadowed by skyscrapers. The warmth of the sun was soon seeping into my skin and I smiled as Dominic gave me the tour, pointing out places of interest and giving me a basic layout so that I would be able to find my way back should I ever get lost. "And here we are. Home sweet home."

Looking at the Toretto house I was reminded how it had been bombed only month or so ago, construction still going on to restore it but it seemed for the most part intact and almost finished. "You ready to meet everyone?" Han questioned me as he came to my side, arm sliding around my waist as I familiarised myself with the house.

"Well, no turning back now in any case, but yes, I think I'm ready. Remind me again which guy is the one I need to watch out for?"

"Roman Pearce." Han immediately answered and I chuckled to myself a little. "Just ignore him, you don't need to know him really." His defensiveness made me smile inwardly as we left the bags in the trunk and Dominic showed us around to the back where a barbeque was being cooked, people all gathered in the garden talking to one another and immediately I started to pick out features and faces, placing names with their descriptions based on everything Han had told me about them. When they saw us, however, everyone immediately brightened, beaming and coming forwards to Han as they welcomed him back to life and for a moment I became lost in the crowd until someone kindly pulled me away.

"Welcome to the family, it's so good to finally meet you, we've heard everything about you from my brother and Han himself. You're Cora, right?" A beautiful woman questioned as she gently held my hands in hers, smiling warmly to me and I was struck with how similar her smile was to Dom's.

"Yes that's me, you must be Mia, I've heard all about you too." I answered, relaxing as she gave me a hug to welcome me properly and suddenly all interest was turned to me.

"Damn Han, you sure know how to pick a girl, am I right? Lady over there got one helluva body." I did not need to ask to know that this was the infamous Roman Pearce and as Han shot him a dry look, I laughed under my breath as Mia picked up a little child from a highchair to settle them on her hip, calming them down. "Hey girl, you got a sister or a cousin you can maybe hook me up with?"

"Come on Rome, don't be that guy, we want her to actually like us you know, not scare her off." Mia's husband, Brian, came up to his wife and placed his arms around them both whilst giving me a smile. "Just ignore him, he thinks he's god's gift to the world."

"Excuse me but god put me on this earth for a reason and it's not just because I am damn sexy." Arching my eyebrow slightly I smirked in amusement as everyone gathered around, interested to see how I would react to all of this however having heard enough warnings from Han before, I was more than prepared to deal with Roman Pearce, who was now grinning at me. "So what you say? Maybe you can give me a couple lessons or something so that we can start speaking the same language, if you know what I'm saying." He suggested to me, giving what I presume he believed to be a charming smile whilst I just tilted my head slightly.

"Unfortunately for you I don't speak dumb playboy, so right here we have a problem. Don't worry, I'll buy you a dictionary or something for Christmas, if it'll help." A few mouths dropped open before several of the guys all crowed at Roman, teasing him for getting owned as I gave a sweet smile and rather pointedly laced my arms around Han from behind him as he sat, kissing his face before giving his shoulder a squeeze whilst he just smirked to himself. "Too much?"

"Just perfect." He promised me as Roman tried to recover himself, however my little introduction seems to have earned me a few points.

"Anybody who can shoot down Rome is a friend of mine. Name's Tej Parker, welcome to the hood." Tej clapped my hand before making some sort of fist bump which I quickly tried to follow as he then pointed out everybody else. "Here we got Mia, Brian, their little boy Jack and that huge bump there? Well that's the next one on the way so be careful if you're trying to squeeze past…" Tej continued with the introductions, everyone bantering and laughing with one another until I had everyone by name and face and everybody knew me. It was a warm and comforting atmosphere to be in and as I sat on Han's lap, everybody naturally settled into their own routines and I was happy that they included me in their conversations, asking me questions about where I lived and what kind of cars we drove over in the east.

The moment the guys realised that I knew my way around a machine things got a little more interesting and some rather heated discussions and arguments came out until Dom finally called that it was time for food so we all came to the table to eat. I sat opposite Han and next to the other woman, Ramsey, who seemed to be rather intrigued by me for some reason and talked to me more than anyone else at the table after Grace had been given. "So you grew up in Tokyo and this is your first time ever leaving Japan, right?" Ramsey questioned me as I helped myself to some chicken.

"That's right, I'm guessing you're from England. What brought you all the way out here?" Now that was a question I should have left for later, as it was a very long and detailed story which included the incident with Owen Shaw, the prick who tried to kill Han. Still hearing his name put me on edge despite the fact that I knew he was stuck behind bars. I found that I liked Mia and Ramsey a lot, getting along with them easily though Letty and I seemed to click on a whole other level, probably because we were both car enthusiasts though I learned that she had lost almost all of her memories due to almost being killed in a car crash.

Hearing her story suddenly brought me a few realisations that I had not thought about before. What if Han had lost his memories? What would I have done then? I can't even imagine such a thing, going to see him awake in the hospital only to find that he had no clue who I or the rest of the crew were. I put such thoughts to the back of my mind for the time being, enjoying the meal with Dom's family until we were finished and I offered to help clean up whilst Han and the others went to catch up on their own. "So Cora, you and Han, how's that going?" Mia asked curiously as I dried up the dishes whilst Ramsey brought them in and Letty put them away.

"We've been dating a few months now. Not including the time Han was in the hospital, though." I added almost as an afterthought as I carefully stacked up the dried plates.

"You know I almost didn't believe my brother when he told me that Han was finally seeing someone, for a while I worried that he had settled on just some random girl he'd taken a liking to, but I'm glad you're nothing like I pictured." Mia said to me with a sweet smile as I blinked at her in surprise. "You're good for him, I can tell. Have you noticed how he's not constantly snacking on food just to keep his hands busy? I thought he'd never kick that habit."

"Yes it's something that's recent, though he still chews on gum quite a bit and usually he keeps his hands busy by working on his cars, but otherwise he appears to be getting better." I agreed and Ramsey looked at me curiously.

"Did he have a bad habit before?"

"Smoking." I responded, explaining to her how Han used to always have some potato chips or some kind of snack food with him in order to keep both his hands and mouth busy in order to help keep himself occupied and not wanting to reach for another cigarette. The four of us got to talking about men, Mia about Brian, Letty about Dom, me about Han and Ramsey about both Tej and Roman whom seem to have taken a serious liking to her, something that I had noticed rather plainly as the two of them almost continuously argued with each other over her. Quite honestly it was nice to actually have some females around my age that I could talk with, it made a nice change and I found myself opening up to them more so than I had ever done with anyone outside of my immediate circle of family before.

After cleaning up Mia offered me a chance to have a shower and get changed after my long flight which I readily accepted. Even though the house had been rebuilt it was still being decorated, though the plumbing and everything else was working perfectly so after I had taken a shower and changed into a pair of shorts and loose shirt, I went back downstairs to properly meet Jack, Mia's and Brian's son. "He's a little cranky because it's almost his bedtime, so I'm warning you in advance he might make noise and fuss a little." Mia said to me as she lifted Jack up from his playpen to pass him over to me.

"That's okay, I'm sure we're going to be best of friends, aren't we little guy? Huh? That's right…" I cooed as I took Jack into my arms and smiled to him as he wailed. He blinked at me in confusion a few times, unsure of who I was and not recognising me and his confusion snapped him out of his little crying fit to stare at me. "Hello, hello Jack, my name is Cora, it's nice to meet you. You're a cute little guy, aren't you?" My smile widening I shifted him across onto my hip and bobbed him up and down slightly, the toddler naturally clinging onto me for balance until finally he pointed at me and made a sound which was most definitely a question, probably asking who the hell I was.

"This is Cora sweetie, can you say Cora? _Cora_?" Mia emphasised and I chuckled as Jack attempted to say my name but came out with something that sounded more like Dora. "No, _C-Cora_."

"Dora." Letty and Ramsey both chuckled with me as Jack insisted that my name was Dora, unable to make the harsher sound at the start of my name.

"That's okay, you can call me Dora for now, we can work on this later." I said as I hugged Jack against me, swaying with him slightly. "You really are just the cutest little thing, aw! He's cuddling into me! Look Mia, I think I'm in love!" Grinning as Jack wrapped his little arms around my neck and sagged into me to take a nap, I felt my heart practically burst out of my chest as I turned towards Mia who was nodding her head in agreement.

"He seems to really like you, usually he doesn't take so well to strangers." Her words gave me a stronger sense of feminine pride, continuing to gently rock Jack to sleep as Ramsey took a couple of pictures on her phone and Mia instantly requested to see them, awing and smiling with a motherly smile whilst rubbing her rounded belly.

"Boy or girl?" I asked curiously, nodding my head towards Mia who lifted her head at my question.

"Girl. Brian isn't sure how he's going to handle a girl being such a grease monkey, but I'm pretty sure she'll end up just as in love with cars as the rest of them." Mia informed us all as she sank back into one of the chairs to rest and relax for a little while.

"What about you?" Letty asked me as she too sat down. "You and Han thinking about kids?"

"Oh no, no that's not even on the table at the moment, I don't think." I responded instantly, feeling a slight twist of nervousness in the pit of my stomach when thinking about starting a family with Han, though it wasn't necessarily a bad sensation. "We're still taking things slowly and we're in no rush. There's still things that we want to do together on our own and besides, we haven't even discussed moving in together. Children is way, _way_ off in the future." With all three women still looking at me expectantly, I looked between them in confusion.

"But you _want_ kids, right?" Ramsey pushed, inching closer to the edge of her seat as I carefully sat down in an armchair, shifting Jack a little so that he was resting more comfortably against me though I could feel my shirt getting a little wet from his drool. I thought for a second, never having really thought about it before.

"I'm not sure. I've not really had much contact with children before, but I guess if they came along later on then I wouldn't be upset about it." Trying to get the attention off me for a little while, I turned the question back on the others and Ramsey immediately responded that she had no interest in having children any time soon, a little like me. Letty expressed an interest in having children of her own one day whilst Mia said that she wouldn't mind maybe one or two more after the little one she was carrying now.

After that we comfortably chatted with one another, naturally falling into an ambient conversation until the guys returned and I heard a few distinctive engines outside, sports cars and that deep bellied roar of the American mustang. The noise awoke Jack a little, making him warble in tired confusion so I hushed him, standing back up and walking him around the living room until Han and the others came back in. Han looked directly to me when he came inside, smiling briefly when he saw me with Jack before moving further inside so that everybody else could get in. "What's up little man? You wanna come to daddy? Okay buddy, okay…" Brian came towards Jack who was still complaining at being woken up. "Want me to take him?"

"Sure, my arms are starting to hurt a little." I admitted, carefully passing Jack over to his father who took him off upstairs to settle him downstairs whilst everyone else came in to collect Letty, Ramsey and I. "What's going on?"

"Wanna see how American's race?" Han offered and immediately I brightened a little, my curiosity and anticipation immediately getting the better of me as I wrapped my arms around Han's neck and kissed him, ignoring a few whistles sent in our direction. When I pulled back, Han had to blink himself awake from his daze before finally he recovered and placed his hands upon my waist to draw me close to him. "I'll take that as a yes." When I went outside after having said goodnight to Mia and Brian, I noted a new car outside and Han led me over to it. He must have picked it up whilst he was out.

"Is this another one of yours?"

"I have many cars." As he opened the door to the bright orange Ferrari.

"Huh." I mused, folding my arms across my chest as I frowned down at the overly bright, flashy and of course, seriously expensive car before sending him a look. "You really don't do inconspicuous, do you?"

"Not at all." Shaking my head with a laugh I got into the car, Han closing the door behind me before coming around the other side. We joined the others as we head out of the street and as the dark skies loomed overhead, the city came to life with lights and people still awake and having a good time, many heads turning as the procession of cars moved through the streets and made their way to the races. "So how do you like everyone?"

"I think they are all exactly as you described them and you were not joking around when you said Roman liked to flirt with anything with a pair of legs and breasts. Despite that, I think he's amusing and I like them all a lot." I listed off my immediate thoughts without hesitation as I continued to look out at the city around me. "Were you worried I wouldn't like them?"

"Not at all, I knew you'd all take to one another. Dom's already said that he thinks you have a lot of potential for our kind of work, though generally we've toned it down since we became rich and had our names cleared." Han said to me and I looked over to him with interest.

"What do you mean by potential?"

"You know, stealing cars and stuff. Dom always had an eye for figuring out people. So long as he likes you then that means everyone is bound to as well." He explained and I pondered over his words for a few moments though at that moment, we were just pulling into were the race was to be had. Everywhere there was people, the women wearing skimpy clothing and the guys all either clinging onto their waists or lingering near their cars with the hoods popped up and the moment I took it all in, I felt like I was right back home in Tokyo. "No matter where you go in the world, it's always the same."

"It's just one big network across the globe, right? Always brings you home." I replied, smiling steadily as Han pulled up next to the others then together we got out. Pulling back my hair I tied it off into a ponytail to keep it back from my face, glanced across to Han to see several people, namely women, were already crowding around him so I left him to do his own thing and began to cast my eye over the cars on show. We were at the docks, a huge open field with cargo containers dotted around the place and I was rather impressed that this whole thing had been organised without anyone realising what was going on or anyone seeing.

My interest taken by a modified Toyota Supra, heading over to take a look at what these Americans had to offer. I enjoyed taking a look around, taking notes on any modifications that I could see and noted down a few ideas for when I got back home however for the most part, I just enjoyed the view. Whilst I was checking out another car, however, I felt someone's eyes watching on me so I paused, glanced around then thought nothing more of it until I heard someone speak. "Now that is a good view. Hey baby, you maybe wanna bend over a little more? That ass got some sweet curves." Now certain that I hadn't been imagining things, I looked around again until I finally spotted the person who'd been watching me. Deciding to play dumb, I answered back in Japanese, gesturing to the car and rambling on a little to confuse him before smiling and walking away.

"Some guys have no class." I muttered under my breath as I tried to make my way back to Han and the others but found that I had wandered a little too far and the crowds were way too thick to see anything over their heads. Keeping calm I searched for somewhere I could climb up and take another look around, moving my way through everyone in order to find a space where I wasn't being crushed by a mass of bodies all around me. Once I found some open space I exhaled, searching once more until I felt someone's hands upon my waist, making me immediately tense up.

"If you're looking for somebody then there ain't no need no more, I got what you're looking for right here baby." This was definitely just like home, everywhere I go men are all the same, it's a little amusing, however right now I had some random man's hands on my waist and feeling around where he shouldn't be.

"Somehow, I doubt that. Unless you're Korean and go by the name of Han." I responded sarcastically, grasping them by the wrists and pulling their hands off me so that I could turn around. A pair of bright blue eyes blinked back at me, dark hair dusting a chiselled chin for a moment I lost my train of thought as I recognised how attractively handsome this guy was. After my initial surprise, I was once more a little dazzled by the write toothed grin that appeared as this stranger inched a little closer to me, putting his hands back on hips to draw me in.

"Whoever that is, you can forget about them. I get the feeling that you need someone with a little more…well _more_ , in order to keep up with you." Arching an eyebrow my lips remained blank, unable to believe that people like Roman actually came in all shapes and sizes. Seriously, the resemblance was uncanny, minus a few physical details but that didn't exactly matter. "What say you watch me race then decide who the better man is?"

"Don't need to." In the blink of an eye I had one of his wrists locked in my iron grasp and twisted, earning a pained cry as he crumbled slightly before me. "I can handle myself just fine on my own." With that I let him go and turned around, stalking away a little haughtily and muttering in my own language under my breath so that no one else would hear or understand me as I complained about assholes and womanising jerks.

"Cora!" Hearing my name I immediately stopped and looking around until I saw a hand waving, Roman's. "Over here girl! Where you been? Starting to get all worried about you, woman your size could get squished like a bug under all that." He said to me endearingly as he pushed through the hoards of people to reach me and immediately fixed his arm around me so that I was drawn towards him in order to keep everyone else from stepping on me. "You know Han would blame me if you get lost or anything so stay close, okay?"

"You do realise that between me and Han, I'm probably the one who's more likely to break your hand, right?" I said to him, looking pointedly to the hand which had settled itself rather comfortably at my back a little too low towards my butt for my liking so Roman immediately lifted his hands away with a cheeky grin.

"My bad, my bad. You sure are a little firecracker ain't you? You little Japanese girls all like that? Because if you are then I need to get me over there to check out the sights."

"Do you _ever_ stop talking?" Tej questioned despairingly as we reached him and a few of the others. "Seriously, it's like you're asking to be knocked in the teeth." The two of them now arguing, Ramsey gave me a smile as she came towards me and sat down on the hood of one of the cars next to me, asking how I was and if I'd found anything interesting, so I told her about the two guys who had tried hitting on me and even though she'd laughed at the first once I'd explained how I'd dealt with him, she laughed even more at the second.

"No wonder you remind me a little of Letty, you're both tough as nails." She said to me and I gave her a smile, taking it as a compliment before we both paid attention to what was going on with the race. There were four participants and one of them was Letty herself, Dom watching on with a knowing smugness about him. Just after the drivers took off, I sensed Han approaching and naturally turned towards him as his hand brushed against my shoulder softly.

"Hey." I greeted him quietly, the two of us going into our own little world for a while as he placed one hand on my leg and the other on my back, running his fingers up and down the bare skin and I enjoyed the sensation of being caressed.

"Hey. Feel like home yet?"

"Absolutely, though it's a little strange to see straight races and no drifting. Ten second race, huh?"

"That's right. Ten seconds and three other racers are all that stand between you and the cash prize." Han agreed, turning his head to see the taillights of the cars continue to disappear into the distance before they took a turn around one of the cargo containers and come back. "Though I think you could still kick their asses."

"Sure, give me a real track and I'm your girl, however considering the fact that I only race on special occasions, I don't think it's going to happen tonight. Besides, I'm enjoying the show, why join in and lose the sense of anticipation without the risk of losing?" I reasoned, making Han smirk in agreement before reaching forwards to kiss me. There was nothing I enjoyed more in this world than kissing Han. Well, maybe there were a few other things, but this was still one of my favourite pass times. I couldn't help but smile after a while, making Han also smile into our kiss and draw back to giving me a questioning look.

"What?"

"I was just thinking what a great kisser you are." My response made him start slightly before all at once he laughed, rolling his eyes before kissing me once again, a brief touch of his lips to mine before placing a final one against my neck as a sign of affection and desire before we simply leaned against one another and watched as Letty crossed the finish line first. I gave a celebratory cheer and clapped my hands as everyone else hooted and gave a roar of noise whilst Letty came to a halt and got out her car. Dom was by her side in an instant and immediately I saw the chemistry between the two of them, though slightly rigid and distant.

"You have that look on your face again." Han murmured to me underneath the hum of noise which I blurred out of focus. "What's on your mind?"

"What if you had lost your memories after the crash?" I asked him, turning slightly so that I could look at him properly, biting down on my lip and reaching to take his hand securely, not wanting to let go as Han gazed up at me from my perch on the hood of the car. "Seeing Letty and Dom, it made me think that I was lucky that I got you back just the same as you were and…" I trailed off slightly, unsure of where my own thoughts were taking me so I exhaled and tried to calm myself down. "I don't think I could handle you not loving me anymore, Han. I think that might have really crippled me and when I think about how you could have woken up and not remembered who you were or who I was, I get all…"

"But I do remember, Cora." Han reminded me, giving my hand a firm squeeze to wake me up as his other hand brushed back a lock of my hair to tuck it aside. "That didn't happen so you don't have to worry about it. You're right, we are lucky I got off so easy, so let's just be grateful and move on with our lives. Right?"

"I wouldn't say you got off _easy_ but yes, I guess you're right." Muttering with a slight pout Han laughed again before kissing my jaw which forced me to clench up and close my eyes to try and not react. "Han, what are you doing?"

"Trying to seduce you." He informed me bluntly and I spluttered with laughter, gripping onto his shoulders to push him back.

"We're in public, so keep your fingers to yourself and don't be trying to feel up my shirt again." Giving him a warning look I then smiled then kissed his face, pausing a moment before moving closer to his ear and whispered. "Though I am wearing your favourite underwear, so that's something for you to look forward to when we get to the hotel." Han immediately stood up a little straighter, muttering something under his breath which I didn't catch however I could pretty much guess what he was saying. I do enjoy teasing him like this from time to time.

Sliding off the hood I walked forwards with Han's hand in mine, drawing him along with me to congratulate Letty on her race as she was handed over the cash prize. We stayed a little longer until we heard the sirens of police closing in on us and for a moment I was bewildered by the sudden rush around me, everyone scrambling to escape and get to their cars. "Cora!" Han suddenly grabbed me to him and ran with me to his car, ushering me in as I yelped.

"What the hell? Why are the police here?"

"It's a little different on the east coast, cops will actually chase you here." Han explained and I blinked at him in shock. Wait, so this was a real car chase? Oh my god.

"Han you better get us out of here fast or I swear sleeping in a cell will be the least of your worries." I panicked however Han merely smirked, already roaring forwards as I hastened to buckle myself in.

"Please, if there's one thing I know, it's how to outrun the cops." His cool calmness helped me to relax, my initial panic giving way to the thrill of the chase as red and blue lights flashed behind us. Han drove out of the dockyard and into the streets, cars scattering everywhere with cops following as many as they could. Drifting around the corner I had to give a laugh, reminiscing all the times we'd drifted in Tokyo.

"I take it back." I said to him as I gripped onto the side for balance, leaning back in my seat so that he could see out the window properly. " _Now_ I feel like I'm at home." Laughing with me, Han took another corner then began to make his way through the streets before disappearing into traffic, overtaking a few before sliding casually into one of the side streets, disappearing from sight and making sure that we were no long being followed before heading over to the hotel. For my first escape from the authorities, I have to say that was rather exciting. No wonder Han was hooked on this kind of stuff, it was exhilarating in a way that meant few things could come close to the same sensation. As the porter took care of the car Han walked me into the hotel, hand in hand whilst we both smirked together, shooting one another occasional glances all the way up to our room.

We ordered room service and I started to unpack my things from my suitcase until our order arrived whereby I abandoned my clothes and instead joined Han for a drink of champagne, enjoying the bubbly liquor with a movie playing in the background but neither of us paid attention to it, too focused on one another or rather, Han was more focused on the underwear I was wearing. When we eventually got to sleep I stayed awake for a while longer, resting on my stomach and looking at him contemplatively. No matter how I tried to imagine myself, I could not think of a life without him anymore. Every time I tried to think of how alternately things might have played out, my heart would give a painful twist and ache for a few moments until I banished such thoughts from my head.

With all the questions that Mia and the others asked me earlier, I started to think a little more until I came to the realisation that it was true. I did want my life to be with Han. I wanted to be with him, maybe have a child or two and I was not opposed to the idea of being his wife. There was nothing else I could ever ask for and I felt incandescently happy that he was alive today. Quietly I stretched out my hand and brushed aside his hair, admiring his features and contentedly watching him sleep until I began to feel myself drifting off so I sank further into the pillows and allowed myself to drift away.


	19. Chapter 19

"Is it just me or do people seem a little more energetic than usual?" I wondered aloud as I walked with my arm through Han's as we moved through the crowds. It was another race night and everyone was around, however there seemed to be a little extra something in the atmosphere this evening. "Something going on?"

"Yeah, Race Wars are just around the corner so people are pretty hyped. Besides, these are high stakes tonight, more money, longer track and better cars. This is the real race right here." He explained as he brought me over towards the gang and I helped myself to a few of his fries. We'd stopped off at a drive through before coming here so we had a few bags to hand out though everyone seemed happy with our offerings. With my drink in one hand I leaned back against one of the cars, happily keeping to myself for the time being whilst everyone else shared out the food and Han a few feet away from me. I was merely minding my own business however when a hand came towards me and tucked my hair behind my ear I naturally jerked away from them, instantly standing up and shooting them a glare.

"Excuse me-oh it's you. Didn't you take the hint last week? Not interested." I recognised the guy from before, the one with the blue eyes. He was smirking at me, eyes gleaming and I wanted nothing more than to just drop kick him there and then but I reigned in my temper as a means to not cause a scene.

"Been looking all over for you, was hoping you'd stop by again." He said to me before drawing himself up to appear taller and broader, flexing his muscles so that his arms bulged with distinctive lines and shapes. "You can call me Louis, what they call you?"

"None of your business." Rolling my eyes I made to turn away and ignore him completely however Louis seemed to have other ideas, spinning around me rather effortlessly to block my way, moving closer towards me with shifting motions which immediately set me on edge as he pushed further into my personal space and forced me to back up.

"What's the hurry baby? Got somewhere else you need to be? How about you and I skip this scene and I'll show you the sights? My car is all warmed and ready to go."

"Since you obviously can't take a hint, maybe this time I should actually _break_ your arm instead of just making it twinge a little. Get out of my face right now or you'll be dealing with a whole load of trouble you don't need." I ordered him rather forcefully however the guy still wouldn't push off, reaching out to try and pull me towards him.

"No need to play hard to get, I know you want me."

"Let go! Get off me!" Without holding anything back I kicked forwards and slammed my foot against his groin, making him double over and yelp loudly in pain as I balled a fist and swung it at his face, feeling his hard skull underneath my knuckles and although I probably bruised it a little, my hand came off worse and as I ripped it back I hissed sharply, grasping at my fingers as they throbbed sharply. "God damn it!"

"What's going on here?" Dom's deep voice immediately made everyone push back as they had started to gather around in anticipation. Lifting my head Dominic took one look at me gripping my hand, Louis on his knees clutching his tender area and put everything into place within a heartbeat. A dark anger seemed to come over him, his shoulders tensing and his fists clenching as the others also arrived, Han immediately coming over to me and taking a look at my hand.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause a scene." Whispering to him quietly Han glanced up at me then back to my hand which he tenderly massaged, checking the bones and smiled gently.

"Don't apologise, he deserved it whatever he did." Shrugging in agreement Han lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it affectionately, making me blush and glow with warmth as I moved closer to him. This was how I liked to be treated, with respect and care. That guy over there didn't know the first thing about wooing a lady.

"Yo, that bitch there went all crazy on me, you should put her on a leash!"

"Seems to me that you're the one that needs a collar." Dom answered, moving forwards however I quickly touched a hand to his wrist, my fingers gently drawing his attention to me so I gave a strong smile and shook my head.

"Not worth it. He gets the message." I told him so after a few moments of consideration, Dom inclined his head and shifted backwards.

"Better watch yourself around here, kid, don't go messing with that which don't belong to you." Dom warned finally in a tone that would have scared me to death had it been directed at me. Thank god I'm not one of his enemies, I think I wouldn't even bother trying to go against him, I'd just surrender immediately. "You mess with one of us…then you mess with all of us." Spreading his hands everyone in the crew stood up, shooting Louis a look who then grit his teeth then staggered to his feet, still slightly hunched over and grasping his pained area. He nodded his head, signalling he understood so Han shot him a filthy look before lacing his fingers through mine, making to turn away.

"Skank whore." The quiet mutter was perhaps a little too loud within the silence as everybody froze in place and as I paused, I noticed not only Han and Dominic grow enraged, but Roman, Tej and Letty as well. Ramsey just looked shocked, however I hardly cared in that moment as my anger snapped. Whirling around with my hand still linked with Han's, we both moved to mirror one another, lashing out with our feet for a backwards kick which slammed against Louis's chest and he went flying onto his back with a yell.

"Aw, they even kick butt together that's so adorable." Ramsey giggled in amusement as Han and I stood together.

"Let's go."

"One minute." Han answered, letting go of me and walking forwards so with a small smile I carefully took hold of the collar of his shirt and tugged, pulling him back towards me and he obeyed compliantly though he didn't appear happy about it. "Come on Cora…"

"My hand hurts, so I think you should take me back to the hotel, draw me a nice hot bath then maybe we can think about ways for you to make me feel better. How does that sound?" I suggested, lifting my injured hand and wiggling my fingers at him with a suggestive look whilst everyone else made knowing sounds and called out jokes and encouragement to Han who thought about it for a few moments before wrapping his arms around me waist.

"Yes ma'am." He finally conceded, making me smile laughingly before rising up on my toes to kiss him, letting him have a taste of what was to come before leading him away. All jokes aside, Han was concerned for my hand and offered to take me to the hospital but it felt fine after a while so he settled for simply putting some ice on it and wrapping it up in a bandage.

"Honestly Han I'm fine, I just hit him funny that's all." I insisted as he sat me down with some first aid to wrap up the hand which was a little bruised around the knuckles. "You know I can hit people well, he just made me react a little too fast." Han's expression darkened slightly and with a pang I was reminded of the time I had been choked and Han had come back to the shop looking like he was about to reap someone's soul. Recognising that he was starting to go down a very dangerous route I lifted my hands and placed them on either side of his face to make him focus on me. "Hey, it was nothing. No big deal. Just a jerk who couldn't take a hint, okay? Come on, don't make that kind of face."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Han pursued, asking me again and again until I had to kiss him to make him stop. After staying in for a couple of hours Han took me out into the city for a good time before sleeping in the next morning. I was loving my time in American and when the weekend of Race Wars came around, I was looking forward to our intended trip around the states that Han was planning on taking me on. For now, however, I focused on the racing. To my understanding this was where people raced for slips and already Dom's crew had brought in a few new cars to work on though they had toned down their own, racing with a few classics and older models.

"Hey Cora, you gonna show us your moves?" Roman called out to us as I got out the car. "Word is you got some skills and my boy Han here says that there ain't nobody who can drive like you, so what's it gonna be?"

"No." I answered effortlessly, taking Roman by surprise so with a smile I patted his shoulder. "I prefer to watch, but hey maybe next time. Sorry to disappoint you Rome." Smiling as I patted his shoulder affectionately I then moved past him to join Ramsey and Letty as they were setting up a table with drinks in the cooler and umbrellas to sit under in the deck chairs they'd brought along.

"So you and Han are heading off after this, right?" Ramsey questioned me as I lent a hand, unfolding a chair and setting it down underneath the broad umbrella.

"That's the idea, though he hasn't told me exactly where we're going so mostly it'll be a surprise. A road trip from coast to coast." The others all planned to go their own separate ways as well and I found myself hoping that they would all have safe journeys, though some were going the same way and already had plans for the next time they were going to meet up and the invitation had already been extended to myself and Han. I was looking forward to coming back, though I wasn't sure how I was going to manage travelling so much with the shop back in Tokyo as well as my parents. Now that I think about it actually, Han seems to be making plans to do a lot of travelling.

Berlin, Prague, Moscow, Rome, all these places are ones I've seen him booking flights to or arranging affairs to stay there a while. Did he not intend to come back to Tokyo? If he did then…what will I do then? I didn't want to leave him and I definitely want to travel with him, however if Han is reverting back to his nomadic way of life then that was something we would have to talk about eventually. For now, however, I'm fine with just living life one day at a time. After all, I'm already with family. I don't know what it is about these people, but they welcome you in and you feel like you're part of them. Like you always been together and as I sat back with a drink in one hand, listening to the banter between Roman and Tej with Letty cutting between them, Dominic smirking in amusement as he too observed, it just felt like home. In fact, I could almost imagine Alex fitting in with all of them, sharing a beer and a story or two, exchanging opinions on the latest mods and stuff like that. It was nice being here. I liked it.

The day was going on without any issues, mostly we all just kicked back and relaxed however a little after midday, I suddenly got the sense that something was up with Dom. He was standing very still and looking towards a particular car with a white body and blue designs, though it was a make and model I wasn't familiar with. The intensity that was coming off of him was rather disconcerting, making Letty glance a little nervously across to the others as Dominic slowly moved towards the car. "Hey Han." Twisting around I caught his attention then pointed to the car. "What car is that?"

"That is a nineteen ninety five Volkswagen Jetta." He informed me before frowning. "What's up with Dom?"

"I'm not sure, let's go check it out." Roman suggested whilst Tej surveyed the car.

"Hold up, I think I know that car. Or at least I heard about it from Brian back in the day. Some kid who used to roll with Dom owned that car, used to belong to his old man but he got locked up or something." All of us gathered together, watching as Dominic circled the car slowly before we all moved forwards to take a look at what was going on. Dominic looked like he had seen a ghost, a haunted expression on his face and I had to wonder at how the car had got here, though I didn't have to wonder long.

"Beautiful, isn't she? She's been good to me for a long time now." Beside me Han stiffened and naturally reached for me as Louis came on scene, doing himself no favours as he chose to square up to Dom. "Figured I'd get your attention if I brought out something a little special. Won it off the last guy in a race, man was so liquored up I was impressed he even made it the first quarter mile. What do you think, Toretto?"

"I think you're messing with the wrong guy." Dominic answered, voice hard as stone and I shivered a little from the sound. "What you doing with Jesse's car?"

"Jesse? Jesse…let me think…oh yeah. Wasn't that the kid who got gunned down all those years ago? Wasn't it Tran who pulled the trigger? Boy shouldn't have driven off after losing." Dominic's fists slowly clenched shut and I carefully observed everyone around us, watching to see who was on who's side though for the most part, people were simply watching and hoping for a bloodbath. "Doesn't that weigh on your conscience, huh?"

"What do you want?" Annunciating his words, Dominic tried to cut to the chase however Louis merely smirked.

"Well I want you to know that there's a new king in town. You think you can come back here after all these years and act like you still own this hood? Times have moved on, old timer. I bet I could take any one of your team no questions asked." Louis announced, earning a few shouts from the team, namely the guys as they argued their point. "But I'm not here to race you. Just prove a point. I don't need to race you to know that I'm better, my car says it all." He pointed across to his heavily modified Porsche. I never liked the look of a Porsche, it reminded me of bugs with the headlights.

"That sounds like something a coward would say. If you're not going to race then what's it to be? I'm taking Jesse's car back with me, no matter what you say." Dominic informed Louis with intense sincerity, making it very clear that nothing was going to stop him. With a flash I recognised that look on his face and thought back to when I had seen my brother's EVO after three years. This has to mean just as much to Dominic as Alex's car meant to me, I can tell just by his face.

"You think I'm an idiot? I said I was the new king but that doesn't mean I don't know a threat when I see one. It's over for you Toretto, looks like being too good at something isn't all it's cracked to be. There's nobody here that'll race you knowing full well that you will end up with their cars. You're undefeated, which means I'm not going anywhere near that racetrack with you ready to take my keys." Louis responded, openly admitting that he knew he was outmatched when it came to Dominic, however everyone else was nodding and chattering in agreement.

"What about racing me then?" Letty offered, her voice also going hard and cold as she faced off with Louis who smirked, looking down on her as she stepped up to his face.

"You?" Louis laughed, trying to play it off and gave the excuse that racing Letty wouldn't be fair considering her memory problems, saying that she might forget which pedal was for the gas. Everyone in the team arguing and breaking out into angry debate over who was going to race and after a few minutes, I cupped my fingers to my lips and gave a shrill whistle. Han's head snapped around to look at me as I pushed Rome and Tej aside, keeping them back from some other guys who were threatening to beat their heads in.

"How about me?" I suggested, making everybody look to me in surprise, including Dominic. "I don't have much experience racing on flats since I'm a drifter, but I'll give it a shot. If it's me then it shouldn't be any problem for you, right?" With the challenge set, Louis glowered darkly over at me before a sinister smirk crept up onto his face.

"Alright then. I'll race you for slips, depending on your car of course. Though if I'm disappointed by your performance, you can expect to be making it up to me in other ways." Of course Han was not happy at all with the insinuation, rising up to move forwards however I stuck out my arm and barred it across him to make him stop, pushing him back a little as I kept my eye fixed on Louis.

"I make no promises. Maybe you'll be the one disappointing me, then what will we do? Are we talking or racing? Let's go already." Waving my hands towards the crowds they immediately cheered and answered with enthusiasm, beginning to chant and cheer loudly to urge Louis to take the challenge as I turned around, riling up the crowds until I turned my head to shoot him a look. "Or are you too scared of a little girl who can't race? Maybe you think I'll kick your ass." Spluttering with laughter, Louis cracked his knuckles whilst eyeballing me with distaste and eagerness, nodding his head in acceptance.

"Alright then, let's race." The challenge now met, I turned around to place my hand against Han, my features softening naturally as I met his gaze.

"Leave him to me." With a stern tone I gave Han a look before delicately touching my lips to his cheek, feeling him smile beneath my tender folds as his arms came to wrap themselves around my middle.

"Yes ma'am." However now, we were faced with a problem. My brother had been the best straight track racer back in Tokyo, so I knew the basics of what to do but it might not be enough to win this race. I'll have to rely on beginner's luck and everything I knew about cars and racing. It will definitely be interesting, I could tell that much. "Looks like you need to borrow a car again." Wincing guiltily I bit on my lower lip slightly though Han was smiling with amusement at me, still wrapped up in his arms.

"Take mine." Both of us looked up in surprise to Dominic who held out the keys to his Doge Charger, blinking in disbelief before recovering myself. "I want to thank you for doing this, I know being behind the wheel makes you uncomfortable. This means a lot and my friend Jesse…he'd appreciate you doing this." Relaxing into a smile I pulled away from Han with a squeeze to his hand to turn to face Dom, reaching out and taking the keys before I placed my hand on his arm.

"I know what this means to you, probably better than most people here. I'll win this race, you can be sure of that." I promised him and Dominic finally relaxed a little, giving me a smile as he reached down and ruffled my hair affectionately before telling me to go easy on the poor guy about to taste the bitterness of defeat. I have never in my life driven a car like Dom's before, so as I walked over to it Rome, Han and Tej were all giving me advice and telling me what I should do and then arguing about it with another until finally I waved my hands in their faces. "Alright enough! Just let the woman drive will you? Jeez, all your worrying is not exactly helping." Tittering my tongue I opened the car door and slid inside, getting a feel for everything and adjusting the seat so that I could reach the pedals.

"You sure you're okay to do this?" Han questioned me again, looking at me with concern so I leaned out the window and kissed him to make sure he knew that I felt perfectly calm.

"It's a special occasion." I informed him simply before letting the car rev, getting a feel for the American muscle and I almost squeaked, my head whipping around in shock as I felt the monstrous roar ripple up through me. Han laughed at my wide eyed expression, reaching inside to loosen my grip on the wheel and gave me a knowing look.

"Just watch the shift in the gears, alright? This beast has a lot of muscle behind it so don't let it get carried away from you. Reign it in until the last hundred feet then let all hell break lose. Got it?"

"Sure. I go it." Nodding my head I took a deep breath to try and settle myself. How hard can it be? A car is a car, the functions are pretty much the same so it shouldn't take much to adjust. Besides, I don't even have to calculate turns or anything like that. It's just one simple, straight road a quarter mile long. As I pulled up alongside Louis I rolled up the windows, blocking both him and everyone else out so that I could focus. I slowed my breathing down and looked dead ahead, focusing on the marker which signalled the finish line. This race was mine, I have to win it, I can't let Dom and everyone else down. Oh god, what do I do? That car Louis's driving will outstrip me in seconds if I'm not careful, do I go full power or double clutch it? Why do I get myself into these kind of situations? Well, no backing down now, it's all or nothing and I'm not one for quitting.

With a girl giving us our cue, both engines roared until her hands dropped and we both rushed forwards. The charger made such a sudden power rush that I freaked out a little, biting down on my lip and gripping one hand more firmly onto the steering wheel as I practically had to fight to keep it on track. Louis inched ahead of me so I pushed for more power and speed, levelling up with him and my mind rapidly tried to think of how to push ahead. Seconds was all I had, so with the road quickly running out, I made my decision.

Any second now I knew Louis was going to pull ahead, so with my hands working together without even needing to think about it, I set to work. Dropping back a little I gave the rear end of Louis's Porsche a firm nudge, sending him spiralling before shooting forwards and yanking up the handbrake whilst turning the wheel at the same time. I couldn't help but grin, feeling the rush of energy through the car as the two of us spiralled in a tight circle side by side, my eyes watching carefully before going into reverse and pulling back from Louis who I could see was yelling in his car. We were now nose to nose and as I reversed, I smugly arched an eyebrow at Louis as I faced him directly. "Bet you didn't see that one coming, you jerk." I murmured before increased my reversing speed, moving the wheel to keep myself perfectly aligned with Louis, refusing to let him pass.

Just past the halfway mark, he'll be making a move any second now. Sure enough he tried to push me out of the way but with this massive monster on my side, there was no way I was going anywhere. Still reversing back down the race track I watched carefully for Louis's expression, keeping an eye also on his hands and when I saw him flex his thumbs, that was my indication that the time was now. I pushed for more speed, continually reversing and moved out of Louis's way as he tried to overtake me but as I manoeuvred Dom's car, I allowed my drifting expertise to take over and let the wheels spin as I turned. The adrenaline was pounding through me as every rev of the engine shot a fresh wave through me, the breath caught in my throat as I prayed that I had done enough.

With Louis trying to move around me I moved to block him, not allowing him past before all at once I whirled the wheel around and glided a circle to face forwards once more, giving it one last push and all at once I pressed the buttons for the nitrous oxide. Immediately the charger surged forwards with newfound power, completely overtaking Louis by an entire car length and then some even as he tried to catch up but it was too late. Dom's car passed the finishing line first and I exhaled in relief as I allowed the car to run, bringing it around on the track to circle back and make my way back to the others.

After the initial disbelief had passed I suddenly felt myself seize up, my chest clenching tightly as I came to a fierce halt back at the start, slightly shocked and still more than a little terrified of the power of this car. It was definitely one I did not want to face myself, I doubt any trick I could pull would actually help me against this beast of a car, though now that I'd driven one I kind of wanted one for myself. American muscle, is was something to behold. "Hey, hey you alright? Cora?" Han's voice snapped me awake as he pulled open the door and gripped onto my hand comfortingly, making me blink before letting go of the wheel.

"I'm fine, just a little wonderstruck. I know you said that American classics had a kick to them but I didn't realise how _much_ they kicked ass." I said to him as I carefully climbed out of the car with my knees still shaking so Han pulled me towards him, seizing my face in his hands and kissing me rather heatedly right in the middle of everyone. If my knees had been weak before, they were totally useless now.

"You are the sexiest woman I know." Giving a tight throated squeak in reply I looked up at him in a daze, more star struck than before until suddenly I had big arms around me in a tight bear hug which lifted me completely off the ground.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you. You got the heart of a real racer." Dominic said to me, smirking with pride as he placed his hand on my head and ruffled my hair. "Nice thinking on the straight. Play to your strengths, I can appreciate someone who adapts to their situation."

"Well, it was ride hard or lose and I don't exactly like losing. Han will tell you it's true." Behind me I could just about see Han nodding his head in agreement, making both Tej and Roman smirk and snigger between them so I jerked my elbow back to scold him silently. The only sour face in the crowd was Louis's, though I didn't care about that so much. Dominic was happy enough taking the keys off him and sending Louis on his way, reminding him that there wasn't a king in this neighbourhood but there was still a hierarchy, with him sitting on the top.

With the Jetta now safely back in Dom's possession, I was shocked when he turned around and gifted the car to me. I hadn't expected that one, however Dom insisted that I had more than earned it and he had enough cars of his own. "Are…are you sure?" I stared at him in astonishment before looking back to the Jetta. I had to admit I liked it, it was a simple car but classic with a neat retro style, something I could definitely grow very fond of. "Doesn't this car mean a lot to you?"

"It belonged to somebody I wasn't able to protect a long time ago, I always had regrets about that, but I think Jesse would be alright with you having it in his place. His old man isn't around, so I'll leave it to you to take care of. I'll keep it at my garage for you to come back for it whenever you want. It'll be waiting for you." Dom promised, giving my shoulder a squeeze before handing the keys over. I stood there, stunned, staring at the keys and then to the car and back again until Han prompted me to take a look at what I had just won for myself so I moved forwards.

It was a very fine vehicle and already I was promising myself that I would make very minor alterations, wanting to keep the memory of the Jetta as it looked now alive for the sake of Dom's friend, Jesse. "Are you sure this is alright? I don't want to disrespect Jesse's memory…"

"If Dom says it's fine then it's fine. He's right though, if I had someone like you there taking care of a car that meant that much to me as this one did to the kid, then I'd be happy with that. Come on, let's take a drive. I'll lead." Kissing me quickly on the cheek Han headed to his own car so after a few breaths to rationalise in my head, I got into the Jetta and drove after Han and the others. Almost immediately I fell in love with the car, though it needed cleaning out from the various cigarette butts and food bits everywhere, but that wasn't a problem. I lovingly cleaned it up at the garage as well as washing the exterior before leaving it with Dominic to take care of whilst Han and I went travelling.

I was sad to say goodbye, giving everyone a hug and fondly telling them that I would see them again soon whilst they wished us both a safe journey, Han getting the brunt of the teasing from the guys whilst the ladies made sure that I would have everything I need, Mia kindly offering drinks and snacks for the first part of the journey. When we left them in our rear view mirror, something Dominic said struck a chord with me. "This isn't goodbye, it's never goodbye between family. Just 'see you next time'." I liked that. In a way, it made me think of Alex and also about Jesse, who I'd learned the full story from Dom before we'd left. It wasn't really goodbye between us either, for them it was just 'see you on the other side'.

"What's that smile for?" Han asked me as I sat on his lap, curled into him as he drove out into the open roads, the roar of his fast car rumbling through us both.

"Just thinking about your family, that's all. I'm going to miss them." Smiling quietly Han shifted gears, the movement of his feet causing a stronger vibration to tremble through us.

"We'll see them again." He assured me, keeping his eye on the road before we hit a straight and he allowed himself to turn his gaze to me instead, leaning forwards and kissing my lips tentatively. "Like Dom said, it's never goodbye." Relaxing further into Han I nodded my head in agreement before together we shifted the gear up again and disappeared into the world, taking our adventure one day, or even one quarter mile, at a time.


	20. Chapter 20

We had been everywhere, from coast to coast of the United States and I had never been so spellbound in all my life. Han really knew his way around and was able to secure us places in only the best hotels and VIP passes to almost everything we'd gone to. It was amazing to see the world from his point of view and I was glad that we'd booked an entire three months away otherwise we'd have never got the chance to see as much as we did, and I knew there was still much more to be seen. We didn't get a chance to see the Grand Canyon, so that was still on my list and there's a few national parks I also want to see but we've got time. Plenty of time, so I'm in no rush.

Right now we were in Vegas and we'd spent a couple of days together before Han said he had to go and take care of a few things. There was something about him that was worrying me, a slight distance to his expression and behaviour, something that had me sitting and worrying whilst drinking coffee in a café. Now that I think about it, he could be worried about going back to Tokyo. By now the rumours would have reached Kamata that Han was alive, and although he got his money back, it did not erase the fact that Han had insulted him. Call it woman's intuition, but Han was freaking out about something. Maybe I should try talking to him tonight?

Finishing up my coffee I paid the waitress then left, taking a walk through the city back to the hotel instead of getting a cab. Han had taken me to a few of these casino players and I have to say he was pretty good at winning back more money than he wagered, though he always knew when to quit so it was never bittersweet. Afterwards he'd take me out to dinner, we'd go for a drive then come back to the hotel. Our vacation was pretty flexible and the only thing we planned was the place we were going to next. Walking down the street a flash of orange caught my eye, making me lift my head and stop for a second. That looked like Han's car. Maybe he's done with whatever it was he needed, I must have missed a call from him. Checking my phone the screen flashed clear, showing now texts or calls at all. Strange. Had I been mistaken?

The car pulled ahead and continued up the road at a rather slow pace due to the traffic so I followed after it to try and catch sight of the licence plates. That was definitely Han's car, so what was he up to? Now I started to overthink things. I must look like some crazy stalker girlfriend if I start to follow him around, for all I know he could still be on business and going to meet someone, then what would it look like? Still, that heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach wouldn't shift, so I continued following. Thankfully he didn't drive much further, pulling to a stop outside a building and when I saw him get out with two other beautiful, glamorously attractive women, my heart froze in its place.

He was smiling, tossing the keys over to a porter and placed his arms around their shoulders to take them inside and for a moment, all I could do was just stand there across the street, feeling like I had been struck in the head by a tonne of bricks. Sucking in a strained breath I looked up at the building, the bright neon lights flashing before my eyes a strip club. Alright, calm down. Maybe this is where he's meeting a client or partner or something. It's the kind of place where they could blend in, wouldn't be noticed, maybe that's all it is. Though where did those two women come from?

Unable to stand still any longer I turned on my heel and practically ran all the way back to the hotel. When I got to our room I struggled to breathe, hot tears prickling at my eyes but I fought to keep them back, trying to rationalise in my head whilst I paced back and forth. Turning around I searched for Han's dirty shirts, rifling through them and giving each one a sniff. My heart plummeted when I found several different scents of perfume on some of them and I knew it couldn't be mine because I don't wear perfume.

A crushing sensation came over me, a distinct pain which I sadly recognised. Hurt, grief and betrayal were the top feelings of the moment, however considering I had had boyfriends who had cheated on me before, I was furious with myself that I hadn't noticed the signs. The extravagance, the gifts, the sudden disappearances, the excuses that didn't always add up, had I just purposefully being ignoring them? No, this is Han we're talking about. We're crazy about each other. There has to be an explanation, I'll make him explain and this time if I catch him lying…I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do, but I'll figure it out.

Unable to sit and do nothing I began to pack my things as a precaution. We were meant to be leaving tomorrow anyway, so there's no harm in getting the packing done early and I just had the small suitcase, though considering all the gifts Han had given me there was no way I was going to fit them in, so I prioritised. There were a few nice clothes, a snow globe of New York which I carefully put back into its box with tissues and bubble wrap, things like that. What if Han was cheating? What should I do? I don't exactly have a means to get home, considering Han had paid for and organised everything on this trip. To be honest, it was a struggle to get him to let me pay for anything, but I hated the feeling of being kept, I liked to at least pay for the meals every now and then.

Once I had packed up I started to clean things around the room, straightening the sheets, plumping pillows and picking up anything that shouldn't have been on the floor, which was basically a lot of his clothes. It was whilst I was rearranging the sofa cushions to dust them down did I find something which plummeted my suspicions into a harsh reality. A pair of panties. They were lacy and blue, basically three strings and little more however I knew for a fact that they were not mine. Again I started to panic and freak out, going into a rage but I managed to calm down after a few minutes, thinking that maybe they had been left there by the previous occupants and the cleaners just hadn't done a good job with the sofa. Still, Han has a lot to answer for.

It was late and dark by the time he got back and I hadn't bothered turning on anymore lights, sitting by the window next to a dim lamp. The key turned in the lock and I had to restrain myself from jumping to my feet when he walked inside, the sound of his keys clattering as he tossed them onto the dresser by the door. He was alone, thank god for that, however when he flicked on the lights the suite was flooded with light and I blinked against it momentarily until my eyes adjusted. "Cora? Why were you sitting there in the dark?" His voice seemed to skewer me, making my stomach twist sickeningly so without a word I simply lifted the underwear I had found, gripping it between the tip of my fingers as a means to touch as little of it as possible. Silence.

His silence hurt me more than I could have imagined, sucking in a breath as tears finally started to streak down my face. Turning to look at him, I saw that he was staring at them. "Want to explain why I found these?"

"Cora…I'm so sorry." Pain. Pain. Pain. It hurt so much I can't even describe it. I had trusted Han, never once did I think that he would betray me, hurt me or do anything of the sort, so what had happened? "I just…needed to feel alive."

"Alive?" Dropping the panties I slowly got to my feet, frowning at him as my pain slowly began to turn to anger, gripping my fists tightly at my side whilst desperately trying to contain the inner beast that wanted to rip free and tear out his throat. "You wanted to feel _alive_? That's you're excuse? What, was I not good enough for you? Was I not enough to make you feel _alive_?!" Beginning to rage I shook my head and turned away from him, covering my mouth to try and keep myself from throwing up, because that's honestly how sick I felt. "How many were there?" For a moment he didn't answer, a pregnant pause beginning to grow and swallow the entire room until finally he answered.

"A few." My head swam slightly so I gripped onto the table in front of me for support, bowing my head under the pressure as tear drops began to collect in tiny pools upon the polished surface. "Cora, you have no idea how sorry I am, please." He began, walking over to me however the moment he got too close I lashed him off and walked away, wanting there to be as much distance between us as possible. "Please…" Begging me I met his gaze, seeing that he was desperate and, if possible, just as heartbroken as I felt. "It didn't mean anything…"

"But it means something to me." I cut across him, lifting my hand to make him stay back. An acidic taste came to my mouth, making me feel even more ill. I can't even look at him, let alone stay in the same room or even the same city as him. I have to get out of here, I have to get out of here now. "Han…how could you do this to me?"

"I know Cora, I'm so sorry, please forgive me." Han pleaded but I was already walking away to our room, grabbing my suitcase and gripping it tightly. "Cora…"

"Goodbye Han." Not caring at all for anything else that he had to say, I grabbed the keys of his car from the dresser as well as the receipt, sucking in a deep breath and striding out the door. I didn't even both slamming it behind me, I just bolted straight for the elevator and disappeared from his sight. Heavy sobs started to escape me the moment I was alone, breaking free from the cage I tried to keep them in and it wasn't until I reached the ground floor I was somewhat presentable.

With my heart trembling in my chest I took Han's car and drove out of the city without even looking back. I had nowhere to go except Los Angeles, back to Dominic and Mia and everyone else, but what would I say? They were Han's family, should I tell them what he's done? Shaking my head I pushed it out of my mind for now, I've got a few hours before I have to worry about that, for now I just need to think about the road. Driving whilst feeling your heart crumbling to pieces didn't exactly do anything for me, so I was glad when I finally pulled up outside the Toretto house, however I was surprised when the door immediately opened and Dominic walked out, wearing a sympathetic and understanding expression as he opened my door. "Han called, told us what happened. I'm real sorry Cora, real sorry." Helping me out the car Dominic pulled me into a comforting embrace and held onto me securely, brushing one hand over my head. "It's okay now, you're with family."

"I'm sorry Dom, I didn't want for it to end this way, I don't even know…"

"Who says you got to be sorry for anything? Way I see it, only person who's in the wrong right now is Han. Don't worry, I'll be sure to set him straight when I next see him, I'll kick his ass." Dominic promised me and I couldn't help but give a weak smile as he slid his large arm around me. "Come on, Mia's got breakfast going. You need to eat something and get some rest, we'll arrange your flight home for tomorrow, alright?"

"You don't have to…"

"We take care of one another, and right now you're the one who needs looking after. Just let us take care of everything, you just relax." Leading me inside Dominic guided me into the house and although I drifted in a slight daze, I was welcomed by the warmth of Mia's smile as she stopped what she was doing and came straight to me in order to place her arms around me, holding onto me with a motherly tenderness followed by Brian who kissed my cheek and insisted that I sit down. We all had breakfast together and somehow I ended up with Jack in my lap, the little guy seemingly rather taken with me and he showed me all of his car toys, telling me all about them and playing with them across the table so I distracted myself with that for a while, putting on a smile and trying to pretend everything was okay.

Dom surrendered the guest bedroom to me to take the couch, which I felt bad for but he assured me that he'd slept plenty of times on the couch and it was more than comfortable enough for him, so after a rather restless night's sleep, a late breakfast and some more time playing with Jack, Dominic took me to the airport. For the most part we were both quiet, the drive not long enough to drum up a decent conversation however Dominic insisted on carrying my bags all the way through until we'd put the larger one through weigh-in and reached the gate. "You sure you're going to be alright?" Dom asked me, putting my bag down as I checked for the hundredth time that I was at the right gate.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm not exactly sure what's going to happen, but since Han can't come back to Tokyo, I guess I'll just continue managing things for him from there until…well until I think of something." I shrugged, sucking in a deep breath before painting a smile onto my face. "Thank you Dominic, I really appreciate all this."

"It was my pleasure." He told me kindly, wrapping me up in his arms and placing a kiss on my head. "You know, you remind me a lot of my sister, Mia. Guess that's why you and I get on like we do, so remember. You need anything, anything at all, we're all just a phone call away." Dominic reminded me firmly, giving my arms a gentle squeeze as the call for my gate sounded. "No goodbye, we'll see each other soon."

"See you soon, Dom." I agreed, rising up onto my toes to kiss his cheek. "Tell Mia and Brian the same, and kiss little Jack for me."

"I will." Giving one final smile I picked up my carry-on bag and headed towards the gate. "Hey Cora." Stopping I turned around, looking directly at Dom expectantly as his face tensed slightly. "You know, Han doesn't do anything for nothing. I know it's probably not what you want to hear right now and I can't really explain it, but you have my word, he had his reasons for doing what he did and you have my word that you mean more to him than…everything." Dom said to me softly and I troubled over his words for a few seconds before finally I nodded my head.

"See you later Dominic." Giving one last wave I was soon boarding the plane and leaving America behind. As the wide blue skies I struggled to think about anything but Han. We were doing so well, so what had gone wrong? He wanted to feel alive, that's what he'd said, but something still didn't sit right with me and what was with Dom just now? Have his reasons? Everything was so confusing and that feeling in the pit of my stomach won't go away. Oh well, it's too late now, but crap.

What the hell am I going to tell the kids?


	21. Chapter 21

"What do you mean Han's not coming back?!" Twinkie yelled very loudly, making my headache all the worse.

"Hm, Twink? Find the mute button please. I literally just stepped off a plane." I requested as I rubbed my head and neck. "And I mean exactly what I said. Han's not coming back to Tokyo, at least, not any time soon. Kamata knows that he's alive so him being here will only antagonise everyone and cause confrontation. He's keeping a low profile for the time being." Explaining with as much as the truth as I possibly could Neela looked to me with worry.

"Aren't you going to miss him?" Hesitating for only a brief moment I then quickly smiled.

"Of course I will, but we talked about this and we agreed this was the best course of action. We're also taking a little break, just so that we don't become strained by the whole distance relationship thing. It's an adult thing, so I'm not sure you guys will understand…"

"Nope, I don't get it at all." Sighing I extended a hand to Twinkie, silently thanking him before I then took a look around the shop.

"You sure you're alright? Something seems a little fishy about all this." Considering I was barely holding myself together as it was, I could do nothing more except gently give Sean's arm a squeeze and look at him imploringly and I thanked god he was smart enough to take a hint, giving me a quick look of surprise before he nodded his head and drew me into him. "It's good to have you back."

"Yeah, place isn't quite the same without you guys. Let's celebrate!" Reiko agreed and soon everyone was getting beers and sodas, toasting my safe return however I quickly slipped into business mode, going to check over the books and get everyone organised as they had slacked off a little since I'd left, though Neela had done an excellent job with the records. The atmosphere was nostalgic and I was able to lose myself in my work for a couple of hours until I suddenly had Earl at the door of the office, ripping it open to make me look up.

"Cora, you need to come see this." By the sound of his voice, it must have been something bad so I immediately stood up and dropped the files I had been going over, heading outside to see a sleek black car sitting outside with one man standing at the door, one in the driver's seat and another observing his surroundings.

"Can I help you?" I questioned though I already knew who they were. Yakuza. Life just kept on getting interesting.

"Masuda. Cora Masuda?" The one checking out the shop questioned so I nodded my head. "Kamata-sama requests your presence." Extending his hand towards the car with a rather blood chilling smile, I looked to where the door was now being opened for me. "Please hurry, Kamata-sama does not like to be kept waiting."

"Wait what is this about? I thought we were all even with Kamata." Sean questioned, defensively stepping forwards to grip onto my arm so I carefully brushed him off, knowing that in this situation, we didn't have much of a choice.

"It's alright Sean. I'll go see what this is about then I'll be back. All of you just stay here for now, don't pull any stunts or do anything stupid for the time being." I warned them, specifically Twinkie who gulped nervously then nodded his head so with a deep exhale I grabbed my bag then compliantly got into the rather luxurious car. With one Yakuza next to me and another opposite, I felt rather cornered but I kept everything from my expression as I was brought to one of the Yakuza dens, a high end restaurant and immediately I looked down at my travel worn clothes.

"There is no need to worry about your appearance, something has already been prepared for you. Please, accept this gift from Kamata-sama." With that a bag was pressed into my hands and I was ushered into a changing room and given no choice but to do what I was told. The last thing I wanted to do was insult a Yakuza boss so I begrudgingly dug through the bags and pulled out a beautiful silk cheongsam dress of yellow gold brocade. It had no sleeves but a high collar and the line that crossed over my chest painted a very elegant picture. It shaped my figure rather nicely and I was impressed they got my size right, looking down at the gold material with beautiful flowers in a darker colour.

I was also gifted a few precious looking hair accessories of gold and white jade, a bracelet of three ropes of pearls and a pair of heels which not only had an expensive brand but looked like they should be on a showcase instead of someone's feet. Shocked and rather intimidated by these gifts, I immediately became suspicious and cautious. Firstly I washed my face and hands at the sink to try and liven myself up a little and feel fresher from my flight before then changing into the dress. I left all the accessories off except for the simplest hair stick, knowing that anything else would be insulting so I swept my hair up into an elegant twist and used the hair stick to pin it, the gold butterfly sitting neatly in my hair.

With the other boxes I carefully slid them back into the bag and carried it with me after I had slipped on the shoes, wavering slightly as I struggled to find my balance. Upon opening the door I found my two guards waiting outside and they glanced me over before nodding in approval. "Um…I'm sorry but…could you perhaps do me a favour?" I requested of them as I took a brave step forwards, flushing with embarrassment. "Please make sure I don't fall over, I'm not used to heels like this." This took them by surprise, glancing at one another before the older gentleman quietly extended his arm and I exhaled with relief, accepting it and practically clung onto it for balance. At least they're polite.

The restaurant was fairly busy but there was a quiet ambience to the room and I very quickly realised that most likely everyone here was either a Yakuza boss or very highly ranked. Practically all of them had tattoos. Kamata was in the furthest corner being served oysters and champagne, however when he looked up to see me he gave a smile. "Ah! Cora Masuda, welcome, welcome. Please, have a seat." The chair opposite him was drawn backwards so I glanced to it, then looked to Kamata before slowly taking the seat which was pushed underneath me. "You look lovely, I am glad I chose the right colour for you, but you are not wearing all your gifts?" Picking up the bag I immediately stood back up again and bowed over as I held the bag towards him.

"Your gifts are beautiful and I am extremely honoured to have received them, however I regret that I cannot accept them in good grace. Such fine things are likely to become damaged by a person such as me and I would not have an occasion to wear them. Thank you for your kindness and my sincerest apologies that I cannot accept." Kamata observed me for a few moments before nodding his head, giving a hand signal to one of his guards who immediately stepped forwards, took the bag then helped me back into my seat. At least so far they were being gentle and polite, now I am very confused as to why I am here.

"Good. Very good. I am glad you passed my little test, Masuda-san. May I call you Cora?" Blinking in surprise I found myself agreeing before I even thought about it, giving him a look so Kamata smirked before explaining. "A woman will always reveal her true nature when presented with valuable gifts. Of course, you knew you had no choice but to wear the dress and shoes, otherwise it would be offensive, however you refused to wear all accessories as a statement that you cannot be bought or decorated like an item but, you still chose to wear the simplest and most inexpensive item as a sign of flattery and gratitude. A perfect score."

"Is this why I was brought here, Kamata-san?" I questioned evenly as we were both poured some champagne and I was offered a menu however I shook my head, too untrusting to taste anything.

"Come, come, you must eat something Cora-san. The food on these airplanes…not very satisfying. Choose anything you like, I shall treat you." Kamata insisted so with another wary glance to him I accepted the menu and glanced over it quickly before ordering a water and one of the appetisers. All the while Kamata observed me, studying my body language so I allowed him to observe all he wanted, looking him directly in the eye without flinching until finally, he chuckled. "No wonder my nephew disliked you, you are not afraid of your superiors."

"You mean Takashi." I noted and Kamata nodded his head so a slight twist to my lips came to my mouth as I thought about him. "May I enquire after his welfare?"

"He is in disgrace and is working to redeem himself. There is no need for you to concern yourself with him, what I have brought you here to discuss is the matter of Han Lue." My fingers clenched into a fist on the table and I stiffened slightly before inclining my head.

"What of him?"

"I know that he is alive." Saying nothing I kept my gaze steadily on Kamata, trying to work out his game here. His intention can't be to kill me otherwise he would not have brought me to one of his favourite dens, dressed me up in expensive clothes and offered to buy me food. No, if he wanted me dead I would not have even made it home to my parents or to the garage, he wants something from me and by the direction of this conversation, it had everything to do with Han. That bastard. "Although that American friend of yours settled things nicely between us, the deal was made under the impression that Han Lue was dead. Since he is alive, it changes everything."

"Your money was returned with our apologies and I will apologise again, Kamata-san, however the actions of Han Lue have nothing to do with me or my crew. We simply cleaned up his mess because we are friends, but since he is no longer in Tokyo, or even Japan, I fail to see why this is of any relevance." I spoke as my appetiser came however I did not touch it. "Meaning no disrespect to you, Kamata-san, however I do not do well with people who waste my time and bandy words. Tell me exactly what you want, do not bother trying to be subtle about it. I can keep up." Arching his eyebrow Kamata puffed out the smoke from his cigar before giving a laugh, smiling at me before slapping his hand to the table.

"My nephew was not joking when he said you were forthright! Very well then, we shall get down to the business. Please, eat." Looking down to my appetiser I gingerly picked up my chopsticks and began to eat slowly, carefully savouring the taste as it was actually very good food. Satisfied I was now eating, Kamata continued to talk. "Since Han Lue is alive and has failed to atone for his disrespect, I have decided that someone else shall work off his debts in his place. You are the best candidate, especially considering what it is I need." Still eating I lifted my face, giving Kamata a look to signal I was still listening. "I need a driver. A good one and, from what I have seen, you are one of the best in Tokyo."

"That depends on what type of driver you need." I informed him, putting down my chopsticks for a moment to lace my fingers together. "If you want a chauffeur then you can hire almost anyone with a licence and a GPS to carry you around and from what I've seen, you've got plenty of those." I began before slowly running things through my head. "If you needed a messenger boy, someone to ferry back and forth with important packages, well again you could hire anyone to do that and pay them the bare minimum, for them it's easy cash no questions asked. If it's a racer you want then that means you need them for something very specific." Frowning slightly I puzzled through it before coming to an answer. "You need a getaway driver, someone who can escape through any kind of situation and lose anyone who chases after them."

"Very clever. I am liking you more and more, Cora-chan." Kamata informed me, puffing out his cigar one last time before stubbing out, reaching out for his champagne. "Han Lue was hailed as the greatest racer other than my nephew in Tokyo. Now, I know that there is a new 'Drift King', however he does not know the streets as you do and neither is he as adept at driving your particular style. I have witnessed some of your races, there is talent there, something you rarely see these days."

"I don't think, I just drive." I responded simply, finishing up my appetiser then placed my hands together to thank him for the food. "But tell me, why should I do this for you? Han's debts are not my own, they have nothing to do with me." A rather cold silence passed before Kamata slowly leaned closer, his eyes boring into mine and I struggled not to flinch at his imposing presence.

"Because, Cora-chan, I know that you care deeply for Han Lue. Love is a great weakness, no?" Gritting my teeth I found my control beginning to spiral away so I grasped at it desperately though I knew it was already too late, Kamata can see me beginning to unravel. He was of course, right. Despite what Han did, my feelings for him were not yet diminished and I still loved him with everything I had. "You will do this for me because you love Han Lue, and if you do not do this, then I shall hunt him down and make him answer for his debts with pain and blood. Understood?"

" _Hai_." I almost croaked, remaining incredibly stiff and my eyes narrowed to a harsh glare at Kamata who smirked victoriously. "Alright, I shall be your driver. What are the terms of our contract?"

"A business woman also, I admire that in you." Kamata said to me, draining his champagne before snapping his fingers and before I knew it, my plate was whisked away and in its place was a contract. "Please, take your time to read through it." Lifting up the papers I began to read through it all, carefully analysing every word and trying to break it apart and search for loopholes, absorbing all the information before finally I put it back down.

"I will sign this if you agree to a few of my conditions." I announced, drawing Kamata's interest. "I would like a cut of whatever job I do for you. Even though I am atoning for Han, I still have a family that I need to support and if my time is going to be divided between you and the shop, I need to be able to properly provide for them." I started and Kamata immediately agreed, offering me a percentage and I accepted it immediately as, to his credit, it was very reasonable, so the condition was added to the terms. "Secondly, you must vow to leave the rest of my crew completely out of this. They are not to participate by any means and you cannot use them for yourself. They are my crew, therefore they receive complete amnesty and your unconditional protection." This one seemed to intrigue Kamata more, smirking to himself as he stroked his beard before also agreeing. I paused for a moment, relieved that he had agreed to my second condition and now prayed he would accept the third.

"Anything else?"

"Yes, just one more." Settling my nerves I felt all my emotions rise and fall like a wave, waiting until I was calmer and knew that my voice was perfectly clear and wouldn't break. "Once this contract is fulfilled, I want you to completely forgive Han and allow him to return to Tokyo, should it be his wish. He will be pardoned, absolved and exonerated from any past misgivings and allowed to return without fear of retribution. This condition applies not only to you, but everyone under your employ and neither may you hire, threaten or broker anyone to hurt or kill him for you. Have I made myself absolutely clear?" Silence. For a moment I worried that I had perhaps pushed my luck a little too far or worded it a little too strongly, however after a few moments, Kamata suddenly laughed.

He spluttered and chortled, clutching at his chest whilst breathing through his laughter before finally he settled down enough to talk, his guards all glancing at one another in confusion. "Cora Masuda, you truly are a woman like no other. I can see you doing very well for yourself." Waving his hand to the scribe, the last few conditions were added. "I accept your terms, all you need to do now is sign." Reading over the contract again I checked that it was perfect before signing my name, and therefore, sealing my fate. I knew my parents would never approve of this, so I had to keep this from them and I don't know what to tell the crew…we'll just have to see.

Kamata thanked me for my company and had one of his men take me back, insisting that I keep the dress, shoes and even the accessories, saying that they were gifts for the start of a prosperous relationship so I had no choice but to accept them. At least I could pass them off as gifts from Han during our travels should my mother ask. The ride home was more than a little uncomfortable, however as it started to rain I found myself sinking into an abyss. This was my life now, for the next year, I was going to be trapped as Kamata's servant. Please god, do not let me get caught. If I get a record, I'll never be able to get a job again.


	22. Chapter 22

Sean had been angry when he found out what Kamata had done and it had taken all of us a long time to calm him down. He wanted to call Han but I persuaded him not to, telling him that I would get into contact with some of my friends over in the west and they'd let him know but also keep him from trying to come back. Not that I thought he would, but at least it settled Sean. Twinkie offered to help, as did the others but I told them firmly that this was between me and Kamata so no one else was to interfere. If anyone was going to get a criminal record, let it only be me. At least with business in the garage going well, we weren't in any trouble.

In fact a few weeks after returning a surprise arrived for me from Dom and when I found the Jetta in the yard, I had smiled and brought it inside so that I could tamper away with it. Twinkie especially took a liking to it, so I had to warn him not to even think about taking it out for a joy ride otherwise I would kill him. With all the cars at our disposal, I had to choose one to use whilst working for Kamata. I couldn't use my brother's EVO as it was registered which left me the Jetta, though the bright white stood out a little too much so after giving Dom a call, I asked him if it was okay to change it.

"You don't need to ask me that kind of thing Cora, you do whatever you want. It's your car now."

"I know it's just, I like it the way it is and I didn't know how you would feel about it so I just thought I'd ask." I responded as I talked with my phone in one hand and files in the other. "How is everyone?"

"We're all doing just fine. Mia's doing good with the baby and everyone is out doing their own thing." Dom said and I smiled, glad to know everyone was okay. "Do I want to know why you need to change the paint for the Jetta?"

"Oh it's…it's just some work that's come up, I need a low key car and I can't us the EVO so the Jetta is all I have left. I would use one of Han's cars but…it just didn't seem right." I paused for a moment, swallowing back the lump in my throat. "How is he?"

"Honestly?" Dom answered and I held my breath. "He's not the same since you left. I saw him briefly after your flight, looked like he'd been through hell." The news disheartened me slightly so I sank into my chair in the office, putting down my files as an image of a guilt stricken Han came to mind and refused to leave. "Cora?"

"Make sure you look out for him Dom, okay? I don't want him doing anything stupid, and if you get the chance…tell him that…" I trailed off, unsure of what to say so I sighed. "I'm not actually sure what I want to say."

"That's okay, I'll keep an eye on him and make sure to keep tabs. He's in Mexico at the moment, but I'll be sure to keep him out of trouble." Dom's words brought me comfort and I allowed myself to relax a little. So long as Dom was able to keep an eye on Han, I wasn't worried about him, though I didn't see why I should be. Considering everything, I should be happy that he's miserable and want nothing more than for him to jump into an active volcano, but I still couldn't bring myself to hate him. Damn these feelings, he got me good. "I'll see you soon Cora."

"Yeah, take care Dom." Cancelling the call I leaned back in my seat for a moment, gripping my hands into my hair before I forced myself to get up and just keep going. It was a shame to repaint the Jetta, but I made sure to give it a cool look regardless. It was now black and metallic blue with a chequered gradient at the back. I'd replaced the rims as well as some of the wiring which had almost been burned through and also put in new nitrous tanks before giving it a thorough check over, continuing to tinker away until it was complete. Not a moment too soon, it appears, as my new phone meant for Kamata only was now ringing at me, showing a text with my instructions.

Taking the Jetta I went to the location I was given, picked up a couple of guys then waited outside the den of another Yakuza clan, shifting uncomfortably until I heard gunshots ringing. My lower face was covered with a cloth and I'd removed the plates from the car, meaning that there was a very small chance that I'd be identified, though then again what's the chance of there being another nineteen ninety five Jetta around? It's fine, I'll change cars every now and then so that no one can follow, maybe I can try racing for a few slips to have a few cars on reserve. Who am I kidding? Racing isn't something I do anymore.

When my passengers came running out the back and dove into my car I was already ready to go, the tyres whirling and kicking off smoke before I sped away though gunfire followed after us. I yelled in Japanese, demanding to know who they were and how many were following. "No talk, just drive!"

"Asshole, I need to know how many are following us so I know how to lose them, now talk!" I ordered, grateful that I'd brought Dom's shotgun along with me and was within hand's reach. Glancing in my mirrors I counted a total of four cars chasing us, firing rather angrily so with a swerve I drifted around a bend, making my passengers all yell and lunge for their seatbelts. Wow, this thing can really drift. I drove with everything I had, whirling around the wheel and crossing onto the opposite side of the road before disappearing up a side lane, using speed and agility to outrun our pursuers, though two of them were crashed into when they tried to follow us across the road which caused a massive roadblock, trapping them on the other side. "I think we're good. Where am I going now?" I questioned, the Yakuza thugs all laughing and jeering, clapping my shoulders as I continued to drive.

I circled around to make sure we weren't being followed before dropping them off at the next location where one of Kamata's top henchmen congratulated me on my first successful assignment, making me wait a little while before giving me my cut. I was surprised it was so much money but I didn't argue, simply thanked Kamata for his generosity then drove home. I need to think about a better disguise for the car, eventually it's going to be recognised and it was very distinctive. Sitting down I puzzled over it for a long while until finally an idea came to mind. Maybe I will need the help of my crew, but for now I should be able to do it by myself. All I need is a few more cars and a few safe places to leave the other cars behind.

With my life now completely overshadowed by the Yakuza, everything was dangerous and full of bullets, gangs and money. Thankfully, however, I earned enough between the Yakuza and the shop to actually be able to afford a better place for my parents, buying them a house in a safer neighbourhood with more space and better conditions, making them both extremely happy as I was able to have a few things altered so that my father could manage on his own even in his wheelchair. I was more settled knowing that they were taken care of, happier still that they knew nothing about where my money came from. Sometimes I'd be pulling jobs for Kamata several times a week.

Sean and Neela were worried about how much he was using my driving skills, however not once did I ever get caught or fail. Things were falling into a rhythm, so whilst I took care of Kamata and Han's debts, we all moved on. With all the dangerous high speed chases and everything, I was forced to become very familiar with a gun, sometimes being ordered to stand guard or protect the cargo I was shipping. Several times I had been ambushed and if it weren't for learning quickly how to fight and take care of myself, things would have turned sour. In fact I became a very proficient martial artist, taking a few classes to keep me prepared and it served me well.

All things aside, the constant moving of my life allowed me to distract me from Han, though occasionally I would suddenly be hit by thoughts of him and that same bitter feeling would return. A part of me wanted to see him again, to ask him why, but then the rest of me would scream 'don't be stupid' and I'd shove all thoughts of him aside. At least he never called or anything, no contact from him at all helped me to move on, though initially it was difficult. At least the crew were still working fine, I think they talked to him from time to time but never did we actually come across one another. As far as I'm aware, Han was actually going to be handing over the shop to Sean completely, so soon enough we'd have nothing to do with him.

Maybe after this contract with Kamata was done I'll get away from town for a while, find somewhere out of the city to live. I hear the country is nice. "Yo Cora, your phone's ringing." Twinkie yelled so I blinked myself awake and instinctively reached for my everyday cell before realising that it was the other one that was ringing. Sighing I picked up my instructions before heading out to collect the package. The amount of drugs and money I've shifted for Kamata was unreal, it's amazing I still haven't been caught yet. In fact, this one was a bigger job as I was required to actually go to the states, sneak in some priceless antique and hand it over to the buyer ready to be auctioned off for millions. Please god don't let it break.

Kamata gradually had me doing more important jobs for him, including some international travel to his business partners in Italy, Spain, Mexico, you name it. This wasn't exactly how I wanted to travel and I was never alone, always having one of his people there to watch me like a hawk, so I never really enjoyed myself. Already six months had gone by and I could not wait for it all to be over. At least I managed to barter some time for myself whenever I was in the States so I would drive down to the Toretto house to drop by and see everyone, including the new baby when she was born. They named her Sarah and she was such a pretty little girl, though Jack was jealous that the baby was stealing all the attention so I made sure to cuddle and play cars with him as much as I could.

Both Dominic and Brian knew that I was working for Kamata since once or twice I had needed Dom's help with a particularly tricky job or needing a place to hide for a while, but I did my best to keep them well out of the loop. They were both sworn to secrecy and when the call came to summon me back home, I left in depleted spirits, not really wanting to go. When I got back to Kamata, he would always give me an approving nod and pay me my dues. "You did well again, Cora-chan. Perhaps I should ask you to work for me permanently?"

"I have no intention of making this my life's work." I told him honestly as I placed the money in my jacket pocket before giving him a bow. "Goodbye, Kamata-san." And with that I would leave. I was always glad to get back home to my tiny apartment with peeling wallpaper, damp and little box room, but at least it was space away from Kamata, away from the shop and from my parents, where I could just be by myself. The noise from the traffic outside came in through the window so I pulled the shutters shut then took out the money I'd earned, hiding it away until I could take it to the bank tomorrow, inwardly recognising that this was my life from now on, and it looked nothing but bleak.


	23. Chapter 23

A year after signing the contract with Kamata, I was finally free from all responsibility of Han Lue's debts and because of my work, Kamata was bound to his agreement that Han would be allowed back into Tokyo with no hard feelings. I wanted to get the message to him directly, however I still couldn't bring myself to hear his voice, so I left a message with Dominic, only a few days after leaving the message, I got a call from him. "Dominic?"

"Cora. I need your help." His request gave me pause, halting from my walk and listening carefully to his tone. He sounded like the world was crashing around him, like he had an immense pressure pushing down on his shoulders and it was close to breaking him. I have never heard Dominic sound so devastated before. "If there was ever a time I need help, it's now, and it's gotta be you. It can't be anyone else."

"Dom what's happened? What do you need?" Instantly sensing that something was extremely wrong, I listened very carefully to his tone and knew that this was beyond serious.

"I don't got much time, there's people who can't know I've been talking to you, and if they found out we're both dead. What I'm asking is dangerous, but it's important to me, it's about family. How soon can you get to New York?" He asked me and I glanced around, seeing the busy streets and the people before turning around and going back the way I had come.

"I'll be on the next flight over. Tell me what you need Dom, you can trust me."

"I know. That's why I'm calling." Dominic didn't give me much to go on, just a time and a place so I quickly wrote down the information, grabbed together a few things and bought a ticket on the next flight to New York, ignoring the expense and took only the bare minimum, already having texted Sean to tell him that I would be out of town for a few days. I took the non-stop flight, meaning I was on a plane for nearly fifteen hours before we touched down, carrying nothing but my hand luggage and all the dollars I had been able to exchange as quickly as possible.

I took a cab further into New York and ended up at a rather rundown looking bar so I got out, paid the fare and slowly walked inside. It was musty and dank, smoke filling the air with graffiti running up the walls with the neon lights glaring rather brightly in my face. "So you're the one Toretto called in." A rather heavily English accented voice spoke and instantly I turned my head, looking to a smartly dressed mature woman with dangerous red lip, daintily stirring her tea with a tray of scones at the table beside her. "Got to admit, I'm surprise he's asked a slip of a thing like you."

"Who are you?" I questioned, tilting my head slightly as my eyes glanced around the room and counted off the bodyguards. It was second nature to me now, finding the cameras, the guards, the weapons and already planning several different types of attacks and exit strategies in my head. "Dom mentioned somebody I had to meet, I'm assuming that's you?"

"That's right." Her harsh sounding voice grated against my ears slightly but I ignored it as she gestured to the seat in front of her. "Cuppa?"

"No, thank you, but you still haven't given me a name."

"Shaw." I twitched. "Magdalene Shaw, I suppose you know of my boys." My fingers tightened into tight fists as I glanced to a shadow as it moved, becoming more visible until I could pick out their features from the neon glow. A dark stubble framed their jaw, chiselled and rather stern features engraved onto their face with a stoic stature which reminded me a little of Dominic, however I did not need any introduction to know exactly who this was and I found myself slowly moving closer.

"Deckard Shaw. I'm guessing you're that girl I almost killed along with that boyfriend of yours. Sorry about that." Hearing no shred of sincerity in his voice I bit back my anger for the moment, lifting my chin and dropped my bag to gradually extend my hand towards him.

"Cora Masuda." Deckard made the mistake of taking my hand which I shook initially, looking him dead in the eye before all at once I grasped his hand in an iron grip and twisted it into a lock, making him yelp in pain. In the blink of an eye I had kicked him with a powerful boot to the gut, moving as quickly as I was able to strike him down. He managed to block my third attempt having recovered, using his arms to deflect my blows however as I spun around I grabbed the silver tray with the scones and whirled it into his face and beat him around the head with it.

"Damn it this woman is crazy!" Deckard yelled, protecting his head as I wordlessly smacked him again with the tray before punching him across the face the moment I found an opening. Once he was finally on his back, I towered over him, tray in hand which I deposited back on the table whilst Magdalene calmly sipped her tea. "What the hell was that for?!"

"For putting my ex in a coma you asshole." I responded before folding my arms. "Explain to me why Dom's asked me here."

"It appears your friend has got himself in a spot of trouble." The woman informed evenly, glancing down to her son before rolling her eyes. "Oh stop your fussing, it ain't that bad, though she did a good job beating your face in. Have to say I can't blame her, you did almost kill her."

"Yeah, yeah. Just tell me I don't have to work with her too. I won't be able to turn my back with her around. She'd sooner shoot me than anything." Deckard pointed as he picked himself up and pointed a finger at me so I shot him a filthy look, telling him that the feeling was mutual and a heated argument started between us, me slipping between English and Japanese until finally his mother ended the argument by firing a single shot from her gun. Instantly I shut up, turning my attention to her as she waved the gun in our faces.

"If you two kids don't play nice together I'm going to be very upset! Now, this is the deal." After ensuring that we were both listening, Magdalene had us both sit down though I tried to sit as far away from Deckard as I could. "I'm assuming you are aware of the whole business with 'Devil's Anus' or whatever it's called…"

"God's Eye." Deckard muttered under his breath, earning another filthy look from his mother so he quickly silenced himself.

" _God's Eye_ then, anyway, this whole business with God's Eye and Nightshade, it's all connected to this figure, Cipher." I listened to the entire story as well as the plan, keeping a straight face and not saying a word. "Cipher is the reason my son was hurt, almost ripped our family apart, so the deal is this. We retrieve Toretto's son, we get Cipher." That detail there threw me off completely and I frowned.

"Dominic has a son?"

"Yes with some woman or other, the details aren't important so shut up and listen." Magdalene ordered and I immediately clamped my mouth shut as Deckard smirked at me, almost smugly so with a quick hit to his groin, I effectively removed that expression. "This is what's going to lead us Cipher and the boy, however Toretto insisted that you, little girl, needed to be on this little assignment. Said that he could trust you to keep the boy safe whilst my sons deal with Cipher. Now, what are you going to do?" I hardly needed to think about my answer, though I took a few moments to digest the information as I faced this rather imposing woman.

"Dom's in real trouble, isn't he?" I questioned, this time looking at Deckard. "And if we mess up, it'll be his son who'll pay, correct?"

"Right, Toretto's being used by Cipher with the kid as insurance. We get the boy, Toretto can cut ties and return to the team and you'll have your family back together again. Happy families." I so wanted to punch that jaw of his again but I restrained myself. Sucking in a deep breath I nodded my head, telling them that I was in no matter the danger. I'd promised Dominic that I would be there when he needed me, so here I was, though I hadn't expected anything on this scale. I guess I was the most sensible choice. This woman, Cipher, she wouldn't necessarily know anything about me. I was never part of Dom's team, had not helped in any of his previous jobs, if anything I should be completely new to her, though I'm sure if she figures out who I am she could learn everything about me with a few taps of her fingers. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a little team together. Isn't this heart warming?" A voice said sarcastically and out of the corner of my eye, I watched as someone else came to the table and took a seat. Not missing a heartbeat my hand shot out and gripped onto the tray, sliding it across the table and whacked it so hard into the newcomer's face that I knocked him out. He dropped to the floor so fast he was like a stone.

"Please refrain from beating my sons to a pulp, they need whatever brain cells they got left." Magdalene drawled though there was a twinkle of amusement in her eye as she bit into a cream scone, Deckard also snorting a little at his brother who lay sprawled on the ground.

"No wonder Toretto liked you, you got some spunk."

"That's not the only reason. I'm also a kickass driver." I answered coldly as I rose to my feet. "We have planning to do, so let's get to it. Unless you boys have something better to be doing with your time, I suggest getting a move on before I start driving my foot up somebody's ass." Giving Deckard a stone cold glare he smirked at me, rising to his feet and squaring off with me so that we were toe to toe. I have never backed down from anyone in my life and I wasn't about to start now, so as I looked Deckard dead in the eye and did not blink or flinch, his smirk finally spread into a smile.

"You and I are going to get along fine. Don't worry sweetheart, I'll be there to protect you so you don't worry about a thing. You just focus on your job, getting Toretto's boy and keeping him in one piece, whilst I focus on my job." Clicking his tongue and winking at me Deckard deftly moved past me and went to his brother, tapping his face to bring him round and help him to his feet. "Come on little bro, get up." As Deckard helped Owen get up and practically dragged him away to recover, I turned around to follow them however Magdalene stopped me.

"One more thing." Halting in my step I turned back to face her, arching an eyebrow questioningly as she wiped her lips clean from the cream, crumbs and jam with a napkin until her lips, now not as vibrant red as before, were clean. "There's something else. Something that I was asked to give you." Revealing something she had been holding on her lap Magdalene placed a file onto the table then pushed it towards me. "Said that it was important that you knew the truth." The truth? Truth about what? Giving a rather wary look to the older woman I reached out and picked up the file, flicking it open and tilting it towards the light so that I could see.

There was a picture of me and Han when we were in San Francisco. In fact there were quite a few photos of us as well as a rather detailed log of our actions. Frowning deeply I continued to read, growing more and more concerned until I felt something shift within the folder so I dug around until I found a pen drive, a rather inconspicuous object, however I couldn't help but feel that this was important. "Where did you get all this?"

"I'm just the messenger here, I don't know anything about that file or who it's about, so don't go asking me any questions." Magdalene informed me, lifting her hands as she got to her feet. "Now you look out for those boys of mine and don't let what happened in the past get in the way of what you need to do. If you hurt either of my boys, I will hunt you down and kill you myself." She warned me and I took her warning to heart, nodding my head in acceptance.

"I'll leave the score for now, but I can't make any promises for later. I'm still pissed at the both of them."

"Pft, you didn't have to raise them." She said before walking off, leaving me blinking in her wake until a shout from Deckard jerked me back into action. Gripping the pen drive and the folder I followed after him and his brother, following their instructions to stay out of sight and for the time being, avoid being seen by cameras, to which I just rolled my eyes.

"It's you two Cipher will be looking for. If God's Eye find me it won't be much of a problem, I've been running jobs for the Yakuza for the past year now so it's not unusual to see me in the city. Just sit tight and make sure you don't piss me off, okay?" Winking back at them both a little sardonically I strode off to the car that was waiting for us in the back, both Shaw brothers watching after me a with slightly agape expressions until I got into the car and popped the trunk. "Get in."

"You can't be serious." Owen declined so I stuck my head back out the window and glowered at them.

"Either get in or I leave you behind. Make your choice and make it fast, I haven't got time to be wasting with you two girls fussing over a little proximity. Deal with it." Having said my piece I started up the engine which then prompted the brothers to hurriedly climb into the trunk of the truck and pull it down on top of them. At least it was a big car so at least they had a little breathing space and room, though I can't say that I was too worried about their comfort right now.

"Oi! You gonna move or what?" Gritting my teeth at Deckard's rather insistent urging, I purposefully jerked the car forwards then halted, hearing a rather satisfying thud and two grunts from the bank.

"Sorry, my foot slipped." I excused, smirking to myself before pulling out into the street and following the GPS to the location it was guiding me towards. It might have been petty but I was extra careful to hit every pothole and speed bump possible en route, making it as uncomfortable as possible for the two brothers and every groan, yelp and curse only brought me further joy and I savoured every moment. Whenever I reached a light, however, I opened the file once more to read. From what I could see, Han was being blackmailed by someone and this file had been put together by Hobbs and Dominic. I hadn't officially met Hobbs yet, but I knew of him and from what I can see, he's accumulated a lot of information about a guy who had Han on the ropes.

For the past year I could see every transaction Han had with him, though from the name and face, I could almost tell that it was Han's brother. John Lue, a convicted criminal, locked up for eight years for extortion, murder, assault, theft, it was a very long list. I couldn't read through everything as I had to keep moving but I kept the file and the pen drive anchored to my lap, not letting go of either as I drove to a rather secluded area of the city with a large warehouse. As I approached the doors the car's approach unlocked it remotely, allowing me to slide inside and I did not turn off the engine until the door was securely shut behind us and when the lights flickered on, I found myself facing a private collection of…everything.

There were cars, guns, weapons, a helicopter, literally everything an assassin or secret agent could ever need. "Alright, you guys can come out now." I announced, popping the trunk and walking around the back to open it up. Both of them were groaning and rubbing their necks, shooting me a filthy look each as I smirked. "What? Was first class not comfortable enough for you?"

"Your idea of first class woman is my idea of a nightmare." Deckard informed me coldly as he got out the trunk and stretched.

"Though I suppose we earned what we got."

"You don't say." Rolling my eyes I gestured around me to all the technology. "What is all this exactly? Looks like you're getting ready for a war or something."

"That's exactly what we're doing." Well, sorry I asked. Stepping back as Deckard strode over to his computers I glanced around, going quiet as the brothers pulled up a location of what they called a 'ghost plane', something that was able to fly through the air without being tracked by satellites. From listening I gathered it used the gaps and holes in the channels to keep itself hidden, which I thought was impossible but evidently not. Whilst the both of them planned their strategy, I slowly approached the computers whilst feeling the pen drive in my pocket.

"May I borrow this?" I questioned, placing my hand on one of the laptops and Deckard didn't even look up as he agreed so I sat down on one of the chairs, pulled the laptop onto my lap and fired it up. I entered the code he let me have then inserted the drive, biting down on my lip as I opened up the file to find several audio files and one document. Opening up the first one, I listened as a strange voice filled my ears.

 _"I'm telling you brother, you can't run away from this. You thought you could outrun me? I escaped jail five times, what made you think you ever escaped me in the first place? I've known exactly where you were this whole time."_ I'm guessing that's Han's brother, John. I could tell from his accent that he and Han had grown up in the same neighbourhood not far away from Dom's, plus there were several mannerisms to his tone which were similar to Han's.

 _"You got nothing on me. Think you can take me for granted? Dude, I got my own life now, I want nothing more to do with you and you are not taking that from me."_ My heart gave a little skip when I heard Han's voice, my throat going dry as I stared at the screen. _"Don't show your face again, I'm not interested."_ That was the end of the first file so I frowned, confused at what I was hearing. It looked like they were audio files taken from a recording device. Han must have either recorded his conversations with his brother or their voices had been extracted from their cell phones. Judging by how long Hobbs has been tracking down Han's brother, I guessed the latter.

The next file was pretty much the same though with a lot more swearing and cursing from John's end, threatening Han with everything imaginable but still he wouldn't give, cancelling the call which cut his brother's voice short. So it was a phone call, it did make more sense. John must have either used burner phones or scrambled the receiver in order to keep Hobbs from pinpointing his location. I continued through the audio and pretty soon both the Shaw brothers were watching me and my face as it slowly tightened into one of rage, curious by the voices that were coming from the laptop. All the audio was the same and as I correlated the dates, I could match them to exact days whilst Han and I were touring the States, however it was the last one which got me the most.

 _"I found your weakness little brother. Took me a while to actually find you, but now I know. She's pretty cute, where'd you find her?"_

 _"You shut up, stay away from Cora."_

 _"Oh I wish I could, but you see I'm still your big brother, which means I can take whatever I want from you when I want and right now, I want that chick of yours."_ My knuckles went white as they cracked, fists clenching until I was practically drawing blood from my palm as I glowered heatedly at the screen. _"And I've always been the jealous kind, so here's what's going to happen. You're going to come back and work for me, or I'm going to have one of my boys pay a little visit to this Cora of yours, and just to make sure you get the message, I'll send someone to visit her parents, her friends, that little crew of yours back in Tokyo…I'll make sure to get them all, and it will all be your fault."_ Han snarled back in Korean, something I didn't understand however after a few moments of heavy breathing, he spoke again in English.

 _"Alright, I'll do whatever you want, but Cora is off limits. You can't touch her, ever. She's too good for the likes of you."_ In that moment, everything made sense to me. Han had staged everything back then, he wanted me to notice that something was off, only it wasn't him cheating. He was trying to push me away in order to keep me safe.

 _"That's more like it Han, that's my bro. Alright, I'll leave your hoe alone, but you gonna work for me and once this job is done, you're gonna make sure you never see her again. See, I don't like this independence she seems to encourage in you, and besides, I might just change my mind about her. Get rid of her for good, or give her over to me. Your choice little brother."_

 _"You sick bastard."_

 _"It's not personal, just business and women don't make for good business. Get rid of her."_ And that's when the call ended. All that was left was the document and I almost couldn't bring myself to open it, however I forced myself to be strong and as I held myself together by the threads, I pulled it up and read a single sentence written in Han's handwriting upon plain paper with Dominic's address at the top.

 _I'm sorry Cora._

That's all it said. Nothing more, nothing less. All at once I felt everything inside me burst with rage and I flung the laptop away from me, launching to my feet and beginning to pace. That sick son of a bitch brother of his, I swear when I get my hands on him I am going to break him over my knee and have him begging for his mother. Maybe I won't even waste my time, maybe I'll just throw him under a truck and let the weight crush him painfully. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to do it, but John Lue is about to feel pain like nothing he's ever experienced before. My god, Han had done all that for me, that moron. He should have just told me, I could have helped him, I would have helped him, all he had to do was ask. His brother might be a dangerous character, in some ways more dangerous than Kamata, but that's nothing I wouldn't handle if Han asked me too.

"Hey." Sucking in a breath I turned around to face the Shaw brothers, realising that I looked like I was about to break down so I pressed my lips into a hard line. "You alright?"

"You got a gun going spare?" I asked, feeling my voice grow harder and fiercer with every word. "Because I am going to put a hell of a load of bullets into somebody's skull when I get my hands on them." Deckard lifted his head slightly, eyes glancing me over before he picked the handgun up from the table and tossed it over to me. I caught it deftly and flexed my fingers around it as I turned and flicked off the safety, arming it before shooting at the target figure some distance away. I hit the centre chest and head with four shots, feeling a little better for shooting something. "But first, let's go bring down that bitch Cipher and rescue Dom's boy."

"I like the sound of that." Deckard agreed, waving me over as he brought up the coordinates for the plane, Owen already gearing up to get ready.

"You sure you want to tag along on this? It's not going to be easy getting in, even harder to shoot our way through." He said to me as I joined his side so I just gave him a look, glancing pointedly to the dark bruise forming on his brow.

"How's your head?" I responded and Deckard gave a small laugh of amusement, both brothers sporting bruises from where I'd kicked their asses. For some reason, that seemed to break the tension between them as even Owen gave a smile, seemingly accepting the fact that he'd earned his injury fair and square. We were an odd team and although there was still a little bad blood from the past, all of us were able to focus on our mission ahead of us and considering it was Dom's baby we were there to rescue, I was willing to team up with just about anybody if it meant I could bring him back safely. The only thing was, I did not like the plan to actually get on the plane. "You are kidding right? You want to _fly_ onto the plane with jet packs." I repeated, giving both the brother's a disbelieving arch of my eyebrow. "You guys really are crazy, aren't you?"

"Says the woman who beat us both around the head with a tray." Deckard pointed out to me so I folded my arms and leaned into my hip, not backing down.

"I was out of baseball bats and crowbars." That conversation now over, we went through the entire plan and I carefully listened, though I objected slightly to the fact that I was going to be depending almost completely on Deckard for survival. "So you're sticking me on babysitting duty whilst you take out everyone else." He nodded at me so I exhaled. "I hope you're as good as you think, because if you die then I die too. Don't screw up."

"Yes ma'am." Flinching slightly I glanced up again, immediately thinking of Han however in the next beat I pushed the thought aside and returned focus to the plane schematics, zooming in on the area where they were most likely holding the baby. We planned and strategized, thought of contingencies and covered any possibilities until we were certain that we had a solid plan. Looks like we're heading to Russia. With our destination in mind I stored away my bag and put on something a little warmer, knowing that it was going to be cold where I was going, considering I was going to be about ten thousand feet up in the air.

At least the brothers had a suit going spare. I pulled the black garb on over my clothes and made sure that it fit to my body with enough space for me to move freely before then arming myself. I chose two automatic handguns and a taser just in case, though with this suit I wasn't able to take much, plus I'd be flying through the air so minimal weight was ideal. "Ready to go flying?" Deckard questioned me as I had them get back into the trunk of the car, standing over them both as they got themselves into more comfortable position.

"Cosy?" I returned dryly, still feeling rather smug that they got the small end of the stick, however they both just smirked back at me with a sort of glint to their eyes.

"You could always come in and join us if you want. Make it even cosier." Owen's tone was definitely flirtatious so with a roll of my eyes I slammed the trunk shut on them then walked over to the driver's seat, putting in the location for the airfield and made one last check to make sure we had all the gear we needed in the back. Time for the game to start, I just hope the teams were evenly matched, otherwise it'll be game over far too soon.


	24. Chapter 24

It was a short drive over to the airfield and all I had to do was drive right on through after showing the pass that Deckard had already provided for me, allowing me right through the gates and when I parked, I was facing a rather impressive looking jet.

"Just how much money do you guys have?" I asked as I let them back out of the trunk. "It's like you all don't know how to give to charity, just one of your cars would probably cure world hunger, you know." Giving them an accusing look Deckard and Owen merely cracked their cramped muscles.

"Work hard and you get paid well. Simple as that, sweetheart." He said before clapping a hand to my back. "Come on, time for some fun." Not exactly agreeing with the idea of this thing being fun, I nonchalantly followed after them, however both brothers were polite when we reached the jet and offered me their hand to help me climb up the ramp. I gave them a look, uncertain of how to take this so Deckard smirked at me. "Don't worry, I'm not going to try kill you this time, you have my word."

"It wasn't me you were trying to kill, I was just collateral so I'm not worried about that." I retorted a little proudly as I brushed past them both and climbed up the steps onto the private jet. It was luxurious and rather comfortable looking with plush chairs, chilled champagne and an entire drinks cabinet filled to the brim. I shouldn't be surprised by this kind of thing considering I had dated Han for almost a year, but perhaps the affect had worn off since then. Considering I myself have never had much money to my name, it was still rather alien for me to see other people with too much of it.

"Have a seat." Owen offered me with a gentle hand to my back, extending the other to one of the reclining chairs and I found myself sitting down without argument. It had taken me a while, but just then I noticed that both Deckard and Owen were taken painstaking care to be gentle and kind to me as well as polite. My thought seemed to reflect on my face as Owen gave me a rather handsome smile as he sat down in the chair opposite me. "Our mother stressed that we were to treat you with nothing but the utmost respect. She seems to have taken a liking to you."

"I have that effect on people." I answered smoothly, flexing my fingers over the leather of the chair before allowing myself to slowly get comfortable. With Owen directly opposite me I took the time to study him, casting my eye over his face. Half of it was scarred from his ordeal with Dominic and the plane, the evidence permanently engraved onto his skin. Other than that he had a well groomed appearance, not at all what I would expect from a man only recently broken out of prison by his mother.

"I'm having a drink, anybody care to join me?" I accepted a whisky, needing something to settle myself as the plane took off and carried us up into the air. For a while all was quiet, however I could tell that both brothers were watching me as I gazed out the window. I could see them in the reflection as the dark sky continued in an endless blanket of night. "So I have a question. What exactly was all that about back there?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Murmuring quietly I drained my drink then put the glass down, feeling the alcohol warm me from the inside as I tugged at my gloves, sliding them properly onto my fingers and flexing them rhythmically.

"What? You can't tell us?" Owen challenged though he sounded friendly about it, leaning back and crossing one leg over the other in an extremely relaxed and unperturbed position, allowing me to read his body language like a book. "And here I thought we were old friends." Shooting him a dark glare I held the expression for a few moments more before I relented a little. The pressure was beginning to build so heavily on my chest that I just wanted to let it go, so I figured that now was a good a time as any.

"That was Han's brother, John. It turns out he blackmailed Han into working for him just over a year ago. He's a known drug lord, also works in trafficking however from what I know, he relies on Han for highwayman style stuff, stealing cargo, shipping it across the border, things like that. I never even knew Han had a brother, but now that I know that he used me to force Han to work for him again, it just means that he's dug his own grave." Deckard arched his eyebrow curiously as I cracked my knuckles. "I don't want to talk about it right now, so find a new topic to amuse yourself with."

"How about we talk about you working for the Yakuza. I find that extremely interesting considering you were such a good little girl beforehand." Deckard chose, earning a deathly glare from me which he ignored. "What was all that about?"

"A deal. The Yakuza boss of my neighbourhood was…well let's just say Han stole money from him on his jobs and Kamata didn't take well to that. I bargained that I would work for him for a year as a driver, in return Han's debts were cleared and he could return to Tokyo. Only thing is, I haven't been able to get hold of Han and then this cropped up, so right now things are a little side tracked."

"Well you won't have to look much further. Your boyfriend is with Toretto's team right now. Looked just fine last I saw, though he wasn't all that happy to see me." Somehow I didn't see that as a surprise. What I did find surprising, however, was when both Owen and Deckard both offered to hunt down John and take care of him for me. "Well, if you need that bastard's head caved in, you just let me know."

"If there's one thing we're good at, it's finding people." Owen agreed and I started slightly, glancing between them.

"What's the catch?" They both laughed but not unkindly, Deckard getting up and pouring me another drink as well as one for himself and his brother, filling our drinks once more before raising his in order to toast.

"No catch, let's just say we'll settle our debts. Besides, I find your spunk quite likeable, so you point me in the direction of anybody you want dealing with, sweetheart, and I'll be sure to take care of it." With another wink Deckard offered his glass forwards, Owen also smirking as he clinked his own drink against his brother's whilst they both looked directly at me.

"To new partners." Owen toasted and for a moment, I simply sat there. This was not something I had expected, however I sensed that they were both sincere. It seems to me that the only reason we had been enemies in the first place was because Cipher had hired Owen to steal Nightshade, which then led to Deckard wanting to take revenge on the team that put him in the hospital. Since all of us had a reason for wanting to take Cipher, it appears that I have no cause to truly hate them anymore, besides I need them. I can't do this on my own and although I was most likely only going to be dead weight, I was glad that they were letting me along for the ride. With that in mind, I lifted my glass and smiled softly as I heard the crystal ring out with a clear sound.

"To new partners." I agreed, pausing a moment before adding. "And settling scores." Both brothers echoed the last bit and we all drank our drinks, sealing the unspoken deal. From that moment on I found myself actually rather enjoying their company however as the night peeled away to reveal daylight, we got the warning that we were approaching upon our checkpoint. Looks like it's time to go to work. Since I had no experience flying with a wing suit or jet pack or whatever the hell these things were, I was hitching a ride with Deck. He clipped me into his harness as we stood at the hatch, preparing to make the jump.

"No second thoughts?"

"Don't give me that option, just jump." Gritting my teeth I secured my helmet and pulled on my goggles and made sure my coat was zipped up all the way. It's about to get very cold. Behind me Deckard was chuckling so I elbowed him in the gut to make him shut up. His laughing is not exactly helping me right now, I'm about to jump out of a plane at over ten thousand feet relying on flight technology and a guy who once tried to kill my boyfriend. Many prayers are being said right now.

"Don't worry sweetheart, you'll be safe with me."

"Says the guy who almost blew me up once."

"You've got to let that go." The little banter did help me loosen up a little so after taking a deep breath, I gave a nod of my head which signalled to Deckard that I was ready. With the push of a button the hatch opened, revealing a storm of gushing wind which instantly whipped against me and I was very glad for all these layers. "Ready? Let's go!" With no further warning, Deck jumped out of the plane. For a moment I felt us falling and I had to hold in my scream of instinctive fear, the sensation of weightlessness and gravity hitting me at the same time before suddenly Deckard levelled us out. We fell with our faces falling towards the earth, clearing the jet before he activated his pack and the wings extended to make us shoot forwards.

With the exhilarating rush of speed, I couldn't help but give a laugh and whoop of excitement, the adrenaline rushing through me as I gripped onto the front of my harness. With the rush of wind in my ears I couldn't' hear anything else, though I could see Owen flying with us as we head for the coordinates that we were locked onto and sure enough, the plane was in our direct line of sight. We'd been flying for a few minutes, moving too fast and being too small to pick up until it was too late. I held my breath as Deckard opened up the cargo hold ramp, angling us directly for it and I couldn't help but clench against what I knew was coming.

Suddenly the jetpack disengaged and we were propelled forwards however somehow, Deckard was able to hit the ramp running so I kept my feet off the ground whilst his arm grasped my waist, keeping me supported until we were inside and he unhooked me from the harness. "We good?"

"I am never in my life jumping from a plane ever again." I swore vividly as I pulled off my helmet and put it down, shaking out my hair with a rather pale faced expression, taking several deep breaths to keep calm.

"Nice plane. I'm gonna enjoy having this." Owen noted and I was grateful for the fact that I wasn't the only one who was a little tetchy. The guy was grasping his gun rather tightly was looking around him with wide eyes.

"Don't go getting any ideas." Deckard ordered him pointedly, holding up his hand whilst his other remained anchored to my shoulder almost as if to comfort me. "You and planes don't have a good history." Owen gave his brother a look before looking back to the ramp, rather strong memories coming back to haunt him.

"No shit." Feeling a little sympathetic, though not much, I gave Owen a reassuring motion with my hand as a means to calm him down, already having recovered my breath and stood slightly behind Deckard as was the deal. I stand behind him and don't get shot. That's all I have to do. Maybe watch his back from time to time, but that was flexible. I'm sure he can take care of himself.

"Alright. Let's go sweetheart, scar face. These arseholes ain't gonna kill themselves."

"Need I ask which of us is which?" I joked, trying to lighten the mood and both the brothers gave a slight grin as we moved towards the door. Stepping to the side I pulled open the panel, stepping up for another part of the job. "If I learned anything from working with the Yakuza, it's how to open doors that don't want to be opened." Pulling the wires out I used a knife to slice through two of them, already having identified the type of wiring and programming the door had. "Just like hotwiring a car…" Noticing Owen jerk his head slightly, all three of us looked towards the camera after it had beeped, Deckard looking a little smug.

"Surprise."

"Maybe _don't_ antagonise the bad guy, Deck, we're already breaking into her very expensive plane without permission." I said to him blankly, striking the exposed wires together to create a spark. "Ready."

"Set." Both of them lifted their weapons so I moved further into the corner out of the way and as I struck the wires a final time, the doors pulled apart and immediately I heard a relay of bullets being exchanged. I waited where it was safe until they gave the all clear, allowing me to move forwards where Deckard was looking at his brother firmly and giving him his next instructions. "Get to the pilot, he's got the second key. Wait for my signal."

"Give Cipher my regards." Owen went up the stairs, leaving me alone with Deckard however he turned to me and winked, extending his hand and pulling me a little closer towards him so that I was better situated behind him.

"And you, sweetheart, you're with me."

"If you call me sweetheart one more time, the tray will be a soft cushion in comparison to what I'll hit you with next." I warned him however Deck just chuckled with mirth, already moving forwards and shot down another guy who came rushing towards us. You'd think these mercenary types would learn to not go running headlong into a firefight. They always seem to die far too quickly. With my hand on my own gun I kept it ready to fire, both hands holding onto it securely and when a door suddenly opened behind us I took no time to think. I turned so that my back was pinned against Deckard's, shooting down the first guy before I felt Deck turn so I went with him, both of us turning on the spot and fired another two bullets each into the next set of guys so that they dropped.

"You're not too shabby, where'd you learn to shoot like that?"

"On the job. Let's go, we don't have much time." I heard Deck whistle behind me so I rolled my eyes impatiently, grabbed him by his collar and moved him forwards to make him walk. There were plenty of guys to shoot along the way and although Deckard took care of most of them, I kept an eye on the ones who were on the ground and moved with my back to him, making sure no one crept up behind us and whenever I saw someone move, I put another bullet into them to make sure that they wouldn't move again.

"Almost there, stay close." Looking up I saw something move in the reflection of a panel of glass so I turned around.

"Get down!" Deckard immediately ducked as one of the guards leaped up from the ground, lifting his gun so I swung my foot to kick it aside, the bullet going astray and I pummelled my fists into his vital spots, focusing first on his throat, then his face before finally throwing my weight downwards. My legs locked down around my opponent and with the momentum I flung them to the ground, landing on my side and in the next heartbeat my gun was levelled on them and my finger squeezed the trigger. Two shots, one to kill and one to make sure they were dead. I'd learned the hard way to always make sure they were dead. Jesus, the Yakuza have turned me into some kind of monster, I could only imagine what my parents would think if they knew everything I had done, the shame to our family name would be irreversible.

"Nice job, you're a natural at this. Come on, up you get." With Deckard's hands underneath my arms he effortlessly lifted me to my feet, keeping me close to him. "This way." Nodding my head I drew in an unsteady breath, glancing back behind me to see all the dead bodies on the floor and I couldn't help but feel the guilt. Did they have families of their own? These guys were just trying to earn a living, it was just bad luck they ended up working for Cipher. Still, I can't think about that right now. "Owen."

"In position." Turning my attention back to Deckard I watched as he lifted the card key up to the lock, ready to swipe it. I'm glad he'd paid attention to which guard had the key because I had completely forgotten about it until now, I really need to maintain focus.

"Go." Sliding the card key down the light flicked to green and the door opened, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief as I turned to make sure no one had followed us. "I'm in." Checking to make sure the room was clear, Deckard then tapped my shoulder to draw me inside. "We're good here, you ready to get this little guy out of here?"

"Absolutely." I agreed, putting my gun back in its holster as I strode over to the cot where a beautiful baby boy stood, beaming at us and making sweet gurgling noises. "Hello sweetie, we're going to take you home to your daddy, so you just sit tight, okay?" As I spoke, Deckard called up Dominic and when he answered, I couldn't help but smile.

"We've got the package Toretto, all twelve pounds of him." Still smiling I reached into the cot and lifted baby Toretto out, instantly tucking him onto my hip and carried him over to where I could see some drawers and a baby seat. Rifling around I found him some shoes and a warm coat to put on him, smiling and talking to him in a light tone to keep him from getting upset however the boy seemed happy enough with a friendly face. "Woman, we ain't got time to play dress up, just put him in his car seat and let's go."

"But he might get cold." I insisted, hurrying up to zip the cute little guy up in his jacket and placed a woollen hat on his head. "See? No time at all." In the next minute I had somehow managed to figure out the straps to the seat, though Deckard had tried to help and we'd squabbled over it until we finally figured out that you clipped the straps together then clipped them both into the buckle. How was this so complicated? Once the baby was settled, Deckard moved forwards and placed a set of headphones on his head.

"Alright governor, it's gonna get noisy so this is for your ears." He informed him rather sweetly, turning up the volume of the music and I was curious to know what he'd chosen to play for baby Toretto. "Good?" Seeing that the baby was fine, Deckard nodded his head. "Let's go." With him leading the way I picked up the seat, carrying it by the handle in one hand whilst holding my gun in the other. I seriously hope this doesn't get too loud, I do not want to have the guilt of giving this child nightmares for the rest of his life. When we reached the door, Deckard hunkered down to look at the baby, talking to him like he understood. "Alright little man, this might be scary but it's going to be a lot of fun."

"You are not exactly setting a good example right now Deck." I noted to him however we weren't given any more time as the door slid open to reveal the next chapter of our challenge. This was where things were going to get _real_ difficult. Gripping onto the baby carrier tightly I moved after Deckard, keeping behind him and moving when I saw that it was safe and always moved directly for cover. Deckard took out the first guy then shot down the next two, allowing us to move forwards and I immediately crouched down, holding the carrier behind me with the gun held up ready to shoot.

"How's the music, good?"

"What, am I suddenly inconsequential?" I challenged friendlily as more bullets tore through the plaster of the wall, though Deckard just gave me an easy going grin.

"Not at all sweetheart, I know you can handle yourself." Cocking my head in agreement, we returned our focus to our targets. We continued to push forwards though as Deckard took the main body of attention I kept low and moved forwards, pushing the baby in his carrier under the table to keep him covered and turned, shooting behind me to the guy running at Deckard's back then shot another through the glass décor. Everything was moving too fast so I had no choice but to simply react, especially when I heard a yell and a foot came crashing down towards me and the table. Instinctively I grasped onto the foot, stopping the guard from crashing through it and hurting Dom's baby, pushing him back and shooting him before tossing my gun to Deckard with a call to warn him as I heard his gun click empty.

My next opponent came quickly so I hooked my foot into the handle of the carrier and pulled it towards me, spiralling around and sliding it along the floor before flipping backwards, allowing my feet to knock upwards against the guy's chin and smack him into the ground as I summersaulted and landed next to the baby, tucking him back under another table before using hand to hand to keep myself from being shot, getting past the guns and using one of the guards as a shield from any bullets before I kicked him off me and grabbed onto an ice bucket. Spinning around I smacked it down onto someone's head, giving a yell from the strained effort before spiralling in a tight circle, hitting another guy and when I heard gunshots, I naturally spun back and struck out with the bucket.

"Ow! Woman!" Deckard cursed, grasping his face where another rather large bruise was forming from where I'd accidentally hit him in the face. Instantly a flash of guilt hit me and I flinched, however I had no time to apologise as another guy appeared behind him.

"Look out!" Lunging forwards my arm went around Deckard to pull him towards me as my other hand grasped his gun hand, turning him within the space of a heartbeat and he trusted my aim and simply fired, taking the guard down though I was now pressed flush against him.

"If you wanted to throw yourself at me sweetheart, you just needed to say." He teased slightly so I stomped down on his foot, making him suck in a breath of pain and forcing him to let me go.

"Did warn you not to call me sweetheart again." Wagging a finger I retrieved the little Toretto, making sure he was alright before returning to my position behind Deckard as he tossed me back my gun and reloaded his, resetting ready for the next bought. Immediately we fell into sync, back to back and shooting anything that remotely looked like an enemy however as we turned full circle back to back, I came to face to face with several hand to hand combatants. "Deck, baby!" Immediately I put the baby down and slid it between my legs whereby Deck then took hold of him, allowing me to shoot the first two men down before my gun clicked empty so I flung it at the next, hitting him on the head and slipped to the side.

With Deck taking care of the baby as well as fighting beside me, we made quick work of them all however when a punch smacked me in the face my head was knocked against the pillar holding the pane of glass, opening a cut and I started to bleed. "Cora!" Recovering quickly a surge of energy and strength overcame me and when I ripped back my elbow I saw a tooth go flying as well as blood from a broken nose. My arms and feet settled into their rhythm as I relied on all of my experience to keep myself alive, darting forwards and knocking out someone's knees with a savage kick before I grasped a blade of broken glass and used it as a weapon, slashing at my opponent with fast and ferocious movements until Deckard came up behind him, lifted him up and smashed him into the table.

"Hey, that guy was mine." I protested, tossing away the glass shard and drawing my second gun.

"You're welcome." Deck responded, turning around to check on the baby. "Where's that smile? There it is!"

"Who knew you were a kid person." I mused almost under my breath, touching my head where it had been cut to make sure it wasn't anything serious before I wiped it away and grabbed hold of the carrier, moving quickly behind Deckard who shielded us both as we pushed forwards and he shot at another one of the guards who then ran out of bullets. Deckard had one hand anchored to my shoulder, keeping me securely covered however when he looked at the now defenceless guard, he gave him a disgusted look.

"You were going to shoot a _baby_?" Looking back to us, Deckard rather politely turned both me and the baby around, making me frown. "You won't want to see this."

"Dare I ask?" Giving me no answer, Deckard proceeded to hammer the guy's head against a solid wood table so I patiently stood with my back turned to them, giving him some privacy until he was done. "Definitely not a good role model for a child. Just be glad he's too young to remember any of this."

"I'm sure he'll grow up with plenty of bad influences, just think of Toretto." Deckard answered as I picked up the carrier and let him lead me forwards however he suddenly stopped, sniffing the air so I copied, also smelling something rather suspicious in the air so Deckard turned to the baby which I held rather protectively against me. "Was that you or him?" We both leaned in closer and smelled, making sure that the baby didn't need changing. "Him, good."

"Just in case, you wouldn't happen to know how to change a diaper, would you?"

"Nope."

"Great." Following after Deckard we cleared through the entire plane until there was no one left except Cipher who was in the control room. Deck opened the door whilst shooting down the last guard, taking down her last hope of being rescued and when he stepped inside, I kept my back pinned to the wall with the baby to listen.

"You're out of bullets Deckard."

"Like I'm going to need a bullet to take you down." Slowly I inched forwards, taking care not to be noticed as Cipher faced down Deckard.

"How did you find me?" I could just about see Deck and from my viewpoint, I saw him hold up something metallic and silver. Dom's cross, I recognised it instantly however there was something small flashing red at the centre. So that's how we were able to track the plane, Dom had planned this from the very start. Quite honestly I was impressed. "Resourceful."

"You've got a lot to answer for, Cipher." Deckard informed her in a soft yet dangerous voice. "What you put my family through…my mother…I'm going to make sure that never happens again. To anyone." Now able to see more into the room, Cipher's attention was completely focused on Deckard Shaw who had moved further around the room so that she was not paying attention to the doorway.

"There's only one flaw in your plan."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Only one of us has a parachute." In a blur I emerged through the door and lifted my hand, grasping something in my palm and as Cipher dove for the bag and console, I squeezed the trigger and two prongs ejected from the taser, latching onto her and shot her up with enough electricity to stun her, her eyes shooting wide open as she fell onto her side and the bag dropped, abandoned.

"And I'm the only one with a taser, bitch." Smirking with an intense sense of satisfaction I put the carrier down and strode over to Cipher, who was admittedly a very beautiful woman. Her keen eyes watched me as I pulled her convulsing arms behind her and clapped on the handcuffs I carried, wanting to make sure that we weren't going to have any further problems with her. "Looks like it's mission over Deck. As much as it pains me to say it, we make a fairly decent team."

"That has to be the nicest thing you've said since we met." He pointed out and I couldn't help but smile, tightening the cuffs and pulled out the taser pins so that Cipher stopped twitching, pulling out the wires and tossing them aside. As I put the taser back into its little pouch, I turned my focus away from Cipher for a split second, but that was all she needed. Without warning she suddenly buried my shoulder into my gut and I was rammed backwards, yelling in surprise and the wind was knocked clear from my lungs, sending me into shock. Deckard gave a shout, diving forwards however Cipher elegantly turned around and despite the fact that her hands were locked behind her back, tapped her willowy fingers onto the control panel and immediately the hatch door slid wide open.

It all happened so fast that I don't even remember reacting. The air was sucked from the room and the wind roared as I instinctively gripped onto something to ground myself, Cipher and Deckard doing the same, however nothing was holding the baby carrier. I watched as it slid across the floor and disappear out the door in a flash, all too quick for me to do anything except scream. Before I knew it I hand unhooked the parachute from Cipher's foot, punching her in the face on my way to the hatch, hearing Deckard bellow my name behind me but thought of nothing else but Dom's baby. Slinging the strap over one shoulder, I dove out of that plane without even thinking that perhaps I wasn't exactly the best option to go skydiving.

Only did it occur to me after I had jumped that the person most likely to successfully save Dom's son was Deckard, but I had already leaped out the plane with the only parachute. Crap. Struggling with the other strap I somehow managed to slide it onto my other shoulder and secured the buckle, hyperventilating slightly as I continued to fall though thankfully I seemed to at least be falling in a controlled way. Small mercies. Below me I could see an ocean of white which I presumed was ice so I desperately searched for a spot of black and when I saw it, I did my best to angle towards it. I'd seen skydiving in the movies and had observed Deck when we'd flown with the jetpack, so I figured it was a similar sort of situation.

To be honest, I was too focused on the baby to feel fear at all, steeling my nerves and using all my muscles to forcibly angle my body to dive towards the child whom I soon could hear screaming. He was screaming loud enough to be heard over the torrent of rushing air and when I finally grabbed hold of the carrier, I thanked god we'd figured out how those straps had worked and somehow, his hat and headphones were still on his head though the phone was fluttering on the wire above us. I grabbed it and tucked it underneath the little guy, pulling him in close and looping my arm through the carrier. "Pray god this works!" I yelled over the deafening noise before pulling at the little handle which I assumed would release the parachute.

Thankfully I was right and as the massive silk chute exploded out of my pack I felt the lurching sensation of suddenly being stopped in the air, our descent slowing to a careful drift. Now I allowed myself to freak out a little, blinking away the tears of fear and cold as I tried to bring back my vision. Hearing the baby crying, I turned my attention to him. "It's okay, ssh, ssh, it's alright, it's alright, I'm here, I'm here and I'm not going to let anything hurt you. See? We're flying, isn't this cool? When you're a little bigger and can talk, you can tell all your little friends that you've already flown in a plane, gone skydiving, been in a gunfight and…actually leave that last bit off, that's something that we can keep between ourselves." My voice seemed to help calm him down as he stopped wailing and sniffled instead, the teary eyed expression looking directly at me so I put on my biggest smile and tried to keep him focused on me and not the fact that we were descending for a very large expanse of white.

As I continued to talk and even sing songs as a means to try and keep the baby entertained, I began to worry about him catching hypothermia so I tried to fumble one handed with the little mittens on his coat, glad that I had thought ahead to properly dress him and when we finally landed on the ground, I hurriedly pulled him out of the carrier and zipped him up into my coat so that his head was tucked into my neck, using my body warmth to shelter him. My breath created large milky white clouds as I shivered, already moving around in circles to keep my body heat up and clutching one glove between my teeth to try and call for someone with the phone that had been attached to Deckard's headphones. "Come on, come on, this thing has to have dial up or something…" I shivered, teeth chattering as I tried to figure out the screen however I soon heard a thrumming in the air. It came first as a gentle hum before gradually getting louder so when I turned around, I saw a helicopter heading our way. "Aha! Yes! Over here! Massive parachute right here, we're over here!" Jumping up and down and yelling I almost broke down in tears of relief as the helicopter landed a small distance away from us.

Shrugging off the parachute I hurried towards it, praying that it was an ally but considering my other options, I wouldn't have even minded if it was one of Cipher's people. At least they could get us to warmth and in worse case scenario, I would fight anybody I had to in order to protect this child. Hell, I'd just jumped out of a plane for him, what's a couple more thugs? Thankfully however a man stepped out with greying hair, a large winter coat and shades which he took off as I approached. "Cora Masuda, I'm Mr Nobody, an associate of Dominic Toretto. I see you took an unexpected trip."

"Less talk, more warmth." I chattered, hurrying forwards with the baby in my coat and the carrier in my hand so with a smile this Mr Nobody guy helped me onto the chopper where several army guys immediately wrapped us up in blankets and got us settled. I didn't calm down until we were back up in the air, though I wasn't exactly thrilled to be flying again so soon. Quite honestly I'd done a little too much flying recently. Shockingly the baby was now fast asleep in my arms, untucked from my coat and wrapped in a blanket to keep him warm so once I was sure he was settled, I looked up at Mr Nobody. "How did you know where to find us?"

"I was on standby in case my services were needed and as it turns out, I was right. We were already en route to you when I heard of your rather spectacular exit from Cipher's plane." Mr Nobody explained to me so I nodded my head, accepting his answer. From what I knew, this guy always seemed to know exactly where to be at the right time, so I had no reason to not believe him. "If you would like to rest then now is the time, Miss Masuda. One of us can hold the little guy there."

"I'm alright, I am not tired, just a little rattled." I answered calmly, rocking the baby slightly to keep him relaxed and fast asleep. "Though if you have some food I'd appreciate something to eat." Unfortunately there was nothing to hand so I settled for simply watching the white snow caps passing by underneath us as we were flown to the airport where Cipher's plane had landed. Almost the moment I stepped off the helicopter with the baby both Deckard and Owen were surrounding me.

"Crazy woman, what the hell were you thinking jumping like that?"

"You could have got yourself killed, you're lucky to be alive!" Owen finished as Deckard to continue calling me all kinds of different words for insane and demented before finally they both placed their hands on my back, telling me that I did a very brave thing and that they were glad we were both alright. Deckard even said hello to the baby Toretto, however the little guy was still fast asleep. "Guess today tired him out." Owen noted, sounding rather impressed that the baby wasn't waking up even with the noise of the helicopter blades slicing through the air and the rushing of airplane engines filling up ready to take off.

"He's got the right idea though, I say we've all earned ourselves a kip." Deckard agreed.

"Food would be a better idea." I finally spoke and almost immediately they both escorted me to the private jet where Mr Nobody was waiting and all of us boarded to be taken back to New York. There was fresh food on the flight and chilled champagne which we all enjoyed a few glasses of, though after I had had my fill I put the baby down somewhere safe under the watchful gaze of one of the guys before closing my eyes to sleep.


	25. Chapter 25

Owen woke me when we started to make our landing and I jerked awake, immediately looking for Dominic's son however Owen reassured me that he was fine. "Easy, easy, he's right there." Lifting my head I blinked away the sleep to see the baby sat happily in his carrier, perched on the table facing the window so that he could see what was going on. Relaxing I exhaled, dropping my head for a moment before sitting up and pushing back whatever it was that covered me. Blinking I suddenly looked, realising that someone had put a blanket over me whilst I slept.

"Thought you'd get cold." Deckard supplied without looking across to me so I sent him a look, contemplating for a moment before I sat up.

"Thank you." Pausing a moment I thought back to our escapade on the plane and how he'd watched my back. "For everything. Guess we can call the score even now."

"I hope so, I worked hard enough for it." Unable to help it I smiled, Deckard finally turning his face away from the window to return my smile. Holding his gaze a little while longer I then looked to Owen, smiling at him too until gradually, all three of us began to chuckle and laugh. It all felt totally ridiculous, twenty four hours ago I would have happily put both of them in the ground but now, I felt like we were old friends. Guess a common enemy and a gunfight can do wonders for clearing the air. Remaining in my seat until we touched down, I was glad to be able to get up, stretch my legs and actually get changed. Apparently we'd stopped off in England to refuel which I seemed to have slept through and I laughed when I saw Deckard had bought the little Toretto a little boxing mitten with the English flag as a gift from the airport shop.

Before heading over to where Dom and the others we stopped to first, take care of the baby because he needed a change of clothes and his diaper changing. It was an interesting conversation deciding who received the honour of getting to change the baby, however when all the guys chickened out of it I took charge and went to a women's bathroom in order to figure out how to change and clean him. Thankfully there were a few other women in the bathroom and they seemed to take pity on me, instructing me on how to properly clean the baby and when I finally had him in a fresh diaper, clean clothes I was rather proud of myself.

I too was given the chance to shower and change, though unfortunately I had no choice in the wardrobe change as the clothes were brought for me. That meant I was left with a beautiful white flowing sundress, a pair of tiny shorts and a pair of heels. When I returned to everyone else, I was not exactly what you'd call happy. "Alright, whoever chose my wardrobe obviously never read my file, because this is _not_ how I dress and I feel like I'm about to fall over in these shoes, so we're going to have to stop to pick up my bag with all my stuff." I announced haughtily, folding my arms as the Shaw brothers both looked me up and down.

"I'm not seeing the problem here." Owen informed me so I gave him a glare strong enough to put him in an early grave.

"Have to say I agree. Nothing wrong with what you're wearing." Scowling unhappily Mr Nobody tried to tell me that I should embrace my feminine side.

"Being feminine isn't exactly ideal when I'm working on engines all the time and getting covered in oil and grease." I responded a little sharply before forcing myself to calm down. The other guy who was with Mr Nobody, his pupil or something, hadn't closed his mouth since I had appeared from the changing rooms. "You either close that mouth right now or I put my fist into the gap." Quickly his jaw was picked up from the floor and he gulped, looking away rather hurriedly before clumsily offering to open the door for me however Deckard got there first.

"Allow me." He brushed aside the Nobody Jr. then opened the door whilst extending his hand towards me. "After you madam." Giving him a look I snorted in amusement and walked forwards, balancing carefully in my shoes.

"Seriously. I put on heels and a dress and suddenly the testosterone around here is unbelievable." Out the corner of my eye I saw Deckard grin, closing the door behind me as I shifted to check on the baby Toretto who was already strapped into his seat in the car. As the escort of cars drove us through the city I found myself growing more and more agitated and twitchy, realising that I was not only going to see Dominic and have to explain to him how his son took a lesson in flying but also, I was going to see Han after a year. Next to me Deckard looked down to my shaking hand, frowning slightly before looking at my face.

Without a word he reached out and actually placed his hand on mine, giving my fingers a secure squeeze and it shocked me out of my nervousness, staring at him as he gave me an understanding look. "I'm probably not the first person you'd want to hear this from, but if you need me to deck anybody, you just let me know." Still taken aback, I didn't even think to retrieve my hand from under his as Deckard continued to carefully read my expression. "You're nervous about seeing your boyfriend again."

"Ex." I murmured without thinking before shaking my head. "I mean, yes, but that's not all." Tilting his head curiously I lifted my hand free and gripped my hair tightly. "How the hell am I going to tell Dominic about the whole skydiving thing?!" Now Deckard was taken aback, looking at me quickly before spluttering with laughter so I whacked him in the chest. "This is nothing to laugh about! Seriously, he's going to kill us. He gave us one job and we almost botched it completely! If he gets mad, I'm blaming everything on you, you hear?"

"Alright, alright, if that makes you feel better, I'll take the heat." Slumping in my seat I leaned back my head and closed my eyes, allowing my arms to fall to my sides. "But you shouldn't worry. You're the reason that little guy is still alive. You'll be his hero for the rest of his life, so don't think too much about it." A small smile curled on my lips. Han always said I worried too much. I wonder if he looks different. How was he even going to react to me being there? What do I even say to him? "And about that boyfriend of yours, well I think he was an idiot for ever letting you go." Opening my eyes to look at Deckard, I regarded him carefully.

"In his defence, he had good reason to push me away. He was being threatened by his psycho killer brother."

"Still, I wouldn't have let you get away from me for so long." Placing his hand on my shoulder Deckard gave it a friendly pat. "Like I said, you need someone put in the ground, you just let me know sweetheart." For a moment I was silent, unable to speak for a few moments until I had gathered my thoughts.

"You have a strange way of making friends, Deck." I informed him bluntly, folding my arms. "First you try to kill them then you offer to kill people for them. What kind of childhood did you have?"

"Somewhat ordinary, to be honest." Now that I did not believe and the both of us smirked, knowing that that was a conversation for another time. When we got out the car Deckard picked up the carrier with our little friend inside, telling him that he was going to meet his daddy. I was silent all the way up, Mr Nobody and his disciple having already gone up since they were in the car in front of us. "You ready?"

"I jumped out of a plane with only a parachute and no prior experience. How hard can this be?" I questioned a little nervously so Deckard reached out and pulled me towards him. Once again he took me by surprise, giving me a supportive one armed hug which actually felt rather comforting and I accepted it, needing that stoic strength which I had been missing for a very long time. We took the elevator to the top floor before taking the stairs to the roof, Deckard kindly helping me by letting me grip onto his free hand since my shoes were completely impractically and I was still learning to walk properly in them.

He went first and I started to follow but then I stopped, freezing in place. The door swung shut in front of me and I found myself completely rooted to the ground. On the other side of the door I could hear the quiet hum of conversation but only now was the reality hitting me. My chest seized up and for a moment I couldn't breathe, feeling an entire year of repressed emotions crash into me all at once. Hot tears began to slide down my face so I pressed my eyes shut and gave a shuddering breath, turning around to grip onto the railings for support. For a few minutes I was able to stand alone, letting a few of those tears slide free before I dried my face and just as I did so, the door opened and Deckard looked through. "You alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry, I just…needed a moment." Grunting in answer he pushed the door further open to let me through, revealing warm sunlight and the delicious smells of the famous Toretto barbeque. Moving forwards as slowly as I could I glanced to Deckard, pausing to consider simply running away however his hand went to my back and gently urged me forwards.

"Go on, they're waiting for you." That's when I looked ahead and immediately a swarm of familiar and new faces greeted me. Everyone cheered in greeting, Roman's voice being one of the most distinguished as he spread his arms.

"There's our little skydiver! Surprised you didn't drop in on us from above, huh?" He joked however I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed as I looked at everyone's faces, though when I saw Han, everything else faded away. Once again I found myself frozen, staring at him and as he looked back at me, I saw a distinct pain in his expression which only I could feel the measure of. It was like a splinter driving its way deeper into my chest and it was unable to dislodge itself. Han made a move as if to approach me but stopped himself as suddenly Dominic took up my entire view, his large frame cutting me off from Han.

He was holding his son in his arms and for a moment I appreciated the beauty of the scene, a trembling smile rising to my lips as I looked at the boy then to Dominic who's expression was heavy and heartfelt. "Thank you." His voice rumbled deeply like his Charger, bringing me comfort and somehow, strength. "Thank you, for being part of this family." He told me and his words touched me emotionally as he pulled me into him, hugging me tightly with his son still in his arms. "I know what you did for my son and it was more than I ever expected of anyone." Drawing back I was once again met with Dom's gaze, shocked to see that he was nearly crying. "I owe you everything Cora. Everything."

"I promised I'd have your back, Dominic Toretto." I found myself answering, lifting my hand to touch his arm affectionately. "And I never go back on my word. I'm glad you finally get to hold him, he's really something special." Chuckling in agreement Dominic hugged me again and pressed a kiss to my head, turning around though he kept his arm wrapped around my shoulders for a moment, leaning in to lower his voice.

"Did you get that file I left for you?"

"I got it." I responded, also lowering my voice and keeping my head turned towards him. "You knew all along, didn't you?"

"He swore me to secrecy, I tried to tell him he was being stupid but you know Han. He plays things close to the chest." Dom said to me and I couldn't agree more. With his arm still draped around my shoulder I looked back to Han who was turned towards Tej and Roman who were both arguing over who had dibs over Ramsey. He was snacking on something, guess that old habit came back after all. As I looked at him I couldn't help but think just how much I had _missed_ him all these months, all that reality coming and smacking me in the face like a ten tonne truck and I realised in that moment that all I wanted was for Han and I to go back to the way things were.

"Welcome back, it's good to see you again." Letty smiled as Dom let me go, her arms coming around to hug me so I returned the embrace, giving a smile as everyone began to move forwards. Ramsey slipped away from the boys to also greet me, hugging me also and congratulating me on my heroics though quite honestly I wanted to think about that as little as possible considering it was the most terrifying moment of my life.

"So you're the little girl I've heard so much about." I didn't think it was possible, but there was actually a guy bigger and more muscular than Dom and it came in the shape of Luke Hobbs who now stood before me. Of course, I never back down from any kind of challenge and this was no different.

"I think you'll find the only thing 'little' about me is my size." I informed him rather boldly, placing my hands on my hips and unable to stop myself from smiling. "So you're the guy who got kicked around by Dom like a football." This made Hobbs laugh, displaying a row of rather pearly white teeth, the two of us facing one another before finally he nodded his head in approval.

"We'll get along just fine. This is my daughter, I think you two will have a lot to talk about, I know she's been asking about you for the last two hours."

"Dad!" Chuckling softly I introduced myself properly to Hobbs's daughter, shaking her hand before turning around to find myself being hugged and greeted by Tej and Roman, both of them asking for the details of what went down on the plane whilst Roman simultaneously tried to tell me all about his heroics in the submarine and on the ice field however everything sort of blurred out of focus as I looked past them to see Han again. He was standing back from everyone else who'd gathered around me so I pushed my way through, sliding between the boys to move towards him.

I saw him react with surprise, blinking at me as I crossed the distance in four very long and surprisingly confident steps, slowly moving towards him and not once did I look away. He stood upright as I reached him, his gaze dropping a little to look me over and for once, I was intensely grateful that someone had given me cute clothes to wear as now that I had his full attention, I didn't want him to look anywhere else. He was still so familiar to me, nothing about him having changed. Even his scent was the same and as I leaned in towards him, I left him no time and no room to escape or push back as I splayed my hand against his chest to feel his pulsing heart underneath my fingertips, feeling it speed up and seemingly tremble as I closed my eyes and closed the distance between us.

Everything that I wanted to say to him fell away from my mind as I kissed him, not caring who was watching or the fact there were children present though I did my best to keep it as tame as possible. It took every ounce of my restraint to simply touch my lip against his and not seek out more but I was satisfied with this for the time being. At the very least, I wanted him to know that I understood why he did what he did and that I forgave him and thankfully, when I pulled back and looked at him, I could see from the way he was barely holding back his emotions that he understood. Smiling fondly at him I gazed into his features, my fingers naturally brushing through his hair as my other hand remained anchored to his heart though he was now gripping onto my wrist tightly, like he was afraid to let go. " _Baka_." A weak laugh escaped him and Han closed his eyes to get control of his emotions so I reached up and kissed him again, sweetly conveying my affection before all at once his arms snatched me to him and he embraced me with everything he had.

"Cora…Cora…"

"I'm here." Behind us several whistles and cheers sounded, a round of applause sounding and when Han and I broke apart we were both smiling, looking back to our family who celebrated our reunion and shared in our feelings. Dom called everyone to the table and Han pulled me into the seat next to him, sealing another kiss to my lips before holding my hand in his. I had missed this, the sense of completion that only Han seemed to bring. As Dom introduced his son, Brian, to everyone, the smile never once left my face though when I glanced across the table to Deckard, he winked at me knowingly.

I was happy in that moment, happier than I had felt in a long time and quite possibly, had ever felt. Everybody came together for food and there was harmony at the table, emotions rising high as Dom finally met his son, I finally got Han back and everyone revelled in the sensation of freedom. There were no more enemies, no more danger and nothing to keep us from living our lives and no matter how many future trials we were to face, none of us felt fear as no matter what, we would _always_ have family and fast cars.


End file.
